New Beginnings
by QuietRaine
Summary: After 25 years of serving as Esthar's president, Laguna Loire is forced to take his first vacation ever. This sparks a turn of events that sends his life spiraling into change. Is the change good or not? And what mysterious shadow threatens the very s
1. Prologue

_Author's Notes: This is a sequel to my story Second Chances, set just two years later. For this story, I'll largely be focusing on my all-time favorite video game character: Laguna Loire. _

_The prologue is a little fluffy, but it's more to set the scene and establish what is going on in everyone's lives. More of what has happened in the last two years will be revealed later, and don't worry – everyone WILL be in this story (with a few minor exceptions). Hope you enjoy! _

**Prologue**

"Once upon a time, there was a handsome king of a great nation. The king was very happy! He had a beautiful palace, with kind servants. His son, the handsome prince lived nearby with his beautiful princess wife and beautiful princess daughter. He led a good life, and was loved by all in his kingdom…

"Until…

"One day, the king's trusted advisors conspired against him. They took the king captive against his will! Even his own beloved son became ensnared in the conspiracy! They took him prisoner in his own castle, stormed him out of his beloved kingdom, and banished him to a cold, barren, lonely land, far, far away! The king's only hope was his cherished granddaughter, the light of his life… The apple of his eye…."

Cassidy Leonhart looked up at her grandfather with a long-suffering look. "Fat chance, Grandpa," she replied. "You need a vacation."

Laguna Loire shot the child a mock-glare. "You're no help," he chided, ruffling her dark hair.

The pair was seated on a couch in Laguna's office spending a bit of time together before Laguna headed out for a much-deserved vacation. Cass had asked him to tell her a story, but the one she had been given wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind.

From across the room, Kylah Deraldi Leonhart looked up from a file folder that she was browsing through and rolled her blue eyes. "It's not like we're hanging you up by your toenails and subjecting you to cruel and unusual torture, such as ten stacks of paperwork while wearing a 3-piece suit," she said, dryly. Cass giggled at the image. "We're sending you to a lovely ski resort in Trabia."

From his perch on the couch, Laguna sent Kylah a glare. "It's not fun or a vacation if you have to go by yourself, and if someone's making you go," he retorted. He paused for a moment. "Are you sure you can handle things on your own while I'm gone?"

The redhead hid a chuckle behind the file folder. "Absolutely," she replied. "Your schedule has been almost completely cleared for the next two weeks, so I only have my own workload to contend with for the most part. The only thing we couldn't reschedule was that meeting with President Caraway, and, well… My official title _is_ Minister of Foreign Relations. I think I can handle that," she said, sending him a grin and a wink.

Restlessly, Laguna rose from the couch and began meandering around the office. He randomly picked up a few items from his desk and then replaced them seemingly without thinking. Suddenly, it appeared that an idea occurred to him. He whirled around and pointed to Kylah's middle. "And what if I miss Junior's appearance while I'm gone?" he asked, a triumphant ring in his tone. He finally had a valid excuse to stay home. "You wouldn't make me miss the birth of my second grandchild, would you? Since I missed the birth of the first one… And my only child…"

Kylah rolled her eyes skyward and counted to ten. "The sympathy card is falling on deaf ears, Mr. President," she replied, resting her hand on her expanding stomach. "I'm just barely six months along, so this kid isn't going anywhere for a while. By the time you get back, I'll still have more than two months to go."

"Face it, Grandpa," Cassidy's five-year-old voice spoke up as she flipped through a coloring book. "You're going." The child paused as she reached for a crayon, and then looked up at him hopefully. "I could go with you!"

Laguna chuckled and scooped her up. "Sorry kiddo," he replied, giving her a tight squeeze. "You have school, so I doubt the parental units would let you go."

Cass gave him a conspiratorial wink. "I'll just slip into a suitcase. They'll never know the difference."

"Never mind that I just heard you making your plans," Kylah pointed out, chuckling.

"Busted!" Cass and Laguna both said together.

"Laguna, man," Kiros spoke up as he and Ward entered the room, "I didn't want to have to resort to this…" he shot Kylah an amused look, "but you leave me with no choice." He fished into his jacket and pulled out a rolled up magazine. "This just hit the stands today. The ladies will go crazy over it."

He tossed the magazine onto Laguna's desk, allowing it to unroll as it fell. When it lay unrolled for all to see, Laguna's smiling face stared back at them from the glossy cover.

From her grandfather's arms, Cass peered down at it. "W—World's" she began sounding out. She was learning to read, and devoured any written materials she could get her hands on. "Most El-i-gi-ble Ba—Bach—Bachelor. What's a 'bachelor' and what is he eligible for?" she asked, looking up at Kylah.

Kylah chortled. "Laguna? You wanna take this one?"

Esthar's president responded by glaring darkly at her and flushing a rather bright shade of crimson.

Kiros picked up the magazine and began thumbing through it. "It really is a great article," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought a grin. "'The strikingly handsome Laguna Loire presents an imposing figure in the political arena. But don't be fooled by those dashing good looks, ladies. Behind that imposing figure is a boyish charm and warm sense of humor.'"

"…"

"Ward says that he never knew you had such beautiful moss green eyes."

"Gimme that," Laguna muttered, snatching the article from Kiros' hands. The color began to drain further and further from his face as he read more of the article.

Kylah exchanged a triumphant look with Kiros and Ward. "That'll be hitting every newsstand in Esthar round about tomorrow," she said, casually.

"Actually, it's hit several today," Kiros added. He handed Laguna several slips of paper. "Those are the messages that you've already been left. The one from Midori over on the other side of town is a particularly interesting offer…"

Cass's eyes scanned the message as Laguna read it. "Mom," she said to Kylah, "what's a—" her question was interrupted as her grandfather's eyes widened and he clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't worry about it," he replied as he sat his granddaughter back on the floor. "We'll tell you when you're older."

The girl sighed. "How come you _never_ answer my questions?"

"So," Kylah asked, "have we thoroughly convinced you to take a vacation? Or are you willing to stick around for a while and allow the female population of the entire world to begin stalking you?"

Reluctantly, Laguna sighed. "How fast can I get my bags packed?"


	2. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Yeah, I know this one is a little slow. I'm still in the process of establishing what's going on and setting everything up. I promise it WILL pick up in the next chapter or two. _

Chapter 1

"I'm glad he's coming home a little early. It's been really boring while Grandpa's been away."

Ellone smiled down at her niece's childlike chatter. "Oh, come on," she scoffed, nudging Cass playfully, "didn't you enjoy Zell's visit?"

Cass nodded, "Yeah, I did," she replied, "but it just wasn't the same. I mean, he went on and on about his gi-irlfriend." Cass rolled her large green eyes.

The dark-haired woman giggled, remembering a time that Cass called herself Zell's girlfriend. "Jealous that someone has taken your place?" she teased.

"Whatever…" Cass rolled her eyes. "I was a little kid when I said that!"

Ellone hid a smile. At five, Cass no longer felt she was a "little kid," and the things she had said just two years ago no longer applied. Besides, since she was going to be a big sister soon, she felt that it was time to join the ranks of "big kids."

…Just don't mention the stuffed moogle that she still slept with every night.

The duo stood on the landing deck of the presidential palace, awaiting the impending arrival of the Ragnarok, which was bringing home Esthar's president from a nearly two-week vacation. Kylah – along with Kiros and Ward – was tied up in meetings all day and Squall couldn't get away from his duties as headmaster/instructor at Esthar Garden, and so only Ellone and Cass had been able to come and greet him. When Ellone had suggested it, Cass had jumped at the chance. She and her grandfather had grown very close in the two years that Cass and her father had lived in Esthar, and she'd missed him terribly.

"There it is!" Cass suddenly cried, momentarily forgetting that she was a "big kid." She jumped up and down repeatedly, squealing with excitement. A sudden rush of air picked up around them as the Ragnarok slid smoothly down from the sky, eventually settling almost soundlessly on the landing pad before them.

The second that the ramp slid open and Laguna appeared at the door, Cass rushed away from Ellone and threw her arms around his waist.

"Oof," Laguna said, looking down at the dark-haired imp attached to his legs. "Nice to see you too, Cass," he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He hoisted the duffel on his shoulder a little higher and bent slightly to return the hug.

Ellone hung back and studied him carefully. Briefly, she wondered if their idea of sending him off on a vacation had backfired. Laguna looked tired instead of rested, and his brow was furrowed slightly as if something was troubling him. His shoulders sagged a bit, and for once in his life he almost – almost – looked his age.

"Hey, Elle," he said, stepping over to greet her with Cass hot at his heels. He offered his niece a brief, warm hug which was promptly returned.

"Welcome home," she replied, squeezing his shoulders. She pulled back a step and peered up at him. "How was your vacation?" she asked, smiling.

Ellone thought she saw a brief flash of… something pass through his eyes. As quickly as she noted the look, Laguna glanced away and up at the presidential palace. "It was good!" he replied. "I really enjoyed myself."

A dubious look crossed Ellone's face. "Then why did you come home early?" she asked, studying him carefully.

"Because he missed us!" Cass interjected, taking her grandfather's hand and heading in the direction of the presidential palace.

Laguna didn't meet Ellone's eyes. "Cass is right," he said, looking down at the dark-haired girl. "I just missed home and missed everyone. It was time to come home." Squeezing Cass' hand briefly, he followed her toward the transport waiting to take them back to the palace. "C'mon," he said. "I've got presents for everyone and a ton of stuff to unpack."

Though she frowned, Ellone fell into step behind him and followed the pair toward the transport. Something about the evasive tone in Laguna's voice and the furrow of his brow left her to wonder if missing his family had been the real reason that he'd left Trabia before the end of his vacation.

She sighed softly as she slid into the transport beside of a chattering Cassidy. Perhaps he really had just missed them, and was simply tired from the traveling that day. Still, she made up her mind to keep an eye on him for a few days. Perhaps, once he had been home for a few days, he would be more willing to talk about the events of his time away…

* * *

Apparently time was not going to be the healer of all wounds where Laguna Loire was concerned. Nearly a week had passed since he'd returned from Trabia, and his mood hadn't improved. If anything, it had gotten worse. He was making a valiant attempt to be his usual cheerful self, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that something was on his mind. Ellone had made several attempts to ask him what he had done while he was away, but he'd given only vague, generic answers and then brushed the questions aside.

Ellone was beginning to grow concerned. She had given him a week to see if, perhaps, he would snap out of it, but it was becoming obvious that things weren't improving. And so, she found herself one afternoon strolling down the presidential corridors to a familiar office. If Laguna wasn't going to discuss the situation, she'd find someone that would.

Hesitantly, she knocked on an office door. A moment later she heard a distracted, "Come in!" from the other side. The door slid open, and almost silently Ellone slipped into the room.

She found Kylah seated at her desk, a mountain of papers spread out before her. She had a headset over her red curls that was attached by a wire to her phone. This was obviously a device to leave her hands free so that she could continue to work. The redhead was busily shuffling through the papers in search of something, while speaking very authoritatively to whoever had the misfortune of being on the other end of the phone.

"Look, I understand President Caraway's position on the matter, but that is not an acceptable compromise for this situation. Now, the treaty clearly states that this particular piece of land is free property with both Galbadia and Esthar sharing mineral rights to the land. I know, because I helped negotiate that treaty myself. If the president has a problem with that, then tell him he can call me directly."

As she listened to whomever was on the other end, Kylah looked up to shoot Ellone a friendly smile and indicated that she'd be just a moment more. The dark-haired woman merely waved her hand, encouraging Kylah to take as long as she needed. She settled herself comfortably into a plush chair in the corner of the office, and watched the master at work.

She would be the first to admit that watching Kylah wheel and deal in the political arena was an impressive sight. She was firm; no one dared to try and run over her. At the same time she was fair and not without a heart for the people.

After a lengthy silence, Kylah nodded firmly. "Then we're in agreement, then," she replied, a self-satisfied smile touching her lips. She was silent again for a moment and her expression then softened into a fond smile, though she did roll her eyes heavenward. "Yes, I did remember that Mom's birthday is next week, and I do have something in mind. Don't worry about that," she replied, grinning. "Take care." And with that, she disconnected the call, sighed heavily, then removed the headset from her ears and tossed it on the desk. Groaning, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Ellone chuckled. "Ambassador Deraldi?" she asked. The good ambassador who took care of foreign relations for Galbadia was also Kylah's father. The two had a love-hate relationship, and events that threw them together often turned out… interestingly.

Rubbing tension out of the back of her neck, Kylah grimaced and nodded. "At least we have an outlet for all of the tension we feel toward each other now," she said, smiling ruefully. "We get channel our frustrations into political debates, so we get along much better otherwise." With a frustrated growl, she tossed the papers in her hand aside on the desk and then smiled at Ellone. "So what brings you to my neck of the woods at this time of day?"

Ellone sighed softly and looked over at her good friend. "I wanted, actually, to talk to you about Laguna," she began. "Have you noticed that he's been…? Well…" she searched for the right words to use.

The smile faded from Kylah's face and her brow furrowed. With a bit of effort, she managed to push herself up out of her chair and made her way over to a small bar at the side of the office. Thoughtfully, she poured both herself and the other woman a glass of water, made her way across the room and eased herself down into a chair opposite Ellone as she handed the brunette a glass.

"I don't think anyone couldn't have noticed that he hasn't been himself since he got back," the redhead replied, taking a sip of the water. "He's been very moody and distracted, which isn't like Laguna at all." Her brow furrowed. "Even more concerning is how he's thrown himself into work these last few days. When I came in this morning, I found out that he was in his office until almost midnight last night." Kylah raised a brow. "That's definitely _not_ Laguna," she said, firmly. "He's usually chomping at the bit to get his work day over with by the end of the day, and having to tell _me_ when to quit."

"Maybe he's trying to catch up on things that he missed while he was gone?" Ellone suggested hopefully.

"I could buy that," Kylah replied slowly, "except there wasn't anything for him to catch up on. The day-to-day stuff Kiros, Ward, and I all kept up, and we cleared his schedule otherwise." She paused and shrugged. "No, actually he's getting quite a bit ahead on paperwork and such, which is really unusual."

Ellone nodded, frowning. "He hates paperwork," she mused, staring into the glass in her hand.

"Whatever is up, he's not ready to talk about it," Kylah continued. "He firmly bit my head off yesterday for merely suggesting that something was wrong." She heaved a sigh. "Even Cass has noticed that something's off."

"What about Squall?" Ellone asked. "Has he mentioned anything?"

She shook her head. "They're getting ready for SeeD exams over at the garden, and with this being the first real class to graduate from Esthar Garden, he wants to make sure his students have a good showing. That means extra drills, extra training, and extra lessons. So he hasn't been around as much as we have to take notice."

"So," Ellone asked, settling against the back of the chair, "what should we do?"

Kylah had the urge to get up and pace around the room as she usually did when she was deep in thought about something, but after a moment she decided it wasn't worth the effort it would take to haul her pregnant belly out of the chair. Instead, she rested her elbows on the arms of the chair, teepeed her hands in front of her, and gave the situation serious consideration. "There may not be anything we can do," she admitted. "Kiros and Ward are concerned too, but they don't have any more idea what's going on than we do. Unless he's ready to talk…"

"Nothing short of hog-tying him and beating it out of him will work," Ellone finished up, glumly.

In response, Kylah shook her head and remained lost in thought for a moment. Gradually, her brow lifted and she sent Ellone a questioning look. "You don't suppose it has anything to do with his birthday coming up, do you?"

Ellone frowned and shook her head. "Possible, but doubtful. He's never been that concerned with getting older, and besides; he'll only be 54. He's not really that old."

Kylah threw up her hands in surrender. "Well, I'm fresh out of ideas," she said. "Let's just keep an eye and an ear on the situation for a few days. Beyond that, the only thing we can do is let him know that we're here to listen if he wants to talk."

Though she hated to admit it, Ellone had to agree. "Yeah, you're probably right," she agreed. Frustrated, she wrinkled her nose. "I just hope he snaps out of it soon."

"Believe me," Kylah replied, taking mental stock of all of the paperwork he was sending her way, "I do too."

* * *

Late that night, Squall Leonhart lay sprawled across his bed as he waited for Kylah to finish readying for bed. He was clad only in a pair of boxers and was thumbing through a copy of _Weapons Monthly_ while he kept one ear tuned in on his wife's running monologue of her daily events.

_That's a really nice new model they've come out with for the gunblade…_ he mused, eyeing the picture on the glossy page. He pulled the magazine up for a closer look, and began reading the specs.

"…And the palace doctor's last day is next week, so Kiros and I have to come to an agreement on who to hire in his place…" Kylah said, her disembodied voice floating from the adjoining bathroom.

_Woah… nice damage potential…_ he admitted to himself, studying the page. I wonder if maybe its time to upgrade to a new model. For a moment, he studied the gunblade and pondered the idea of replacing Lionheart.

"…Ward got into it with Dr. Odine yesterday and the doctor pitched a real fit about it…"

"Mmmhmmm," Squall replied, distractedly. _Could I really replace Lionheart?_ he wondered. The very idea made him feel as if he were cutting off his own arm. On the other hand, that damage potential was nice. He flipped the page to examine the manufacturer information.

Kylah entered the room and studied her husband, a bemused expression on her face. "And Ward and I have been having a hot, steamy affair," she said, folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorframe. Her blue eyes remained fixated on the man in the bed.

"Uh-huh," Squall replied. He had vetoed the idea of replacing his gunblade and was now browsing the selection of gloves advertised. He wondered if Zell had seen the new models available.

"Yeah," Kylah continued. "I've decided to leave you and run away with Ward. We're going to open a candy shop together in Dollett."

"That's nice," Squall replied, flipping another page. After a moment, he looked up at her, the smallest smile tugging on the corners of his lips. "Just make sure you and Ward send me a postcard once in a while."

"Fiend," she laughed. She switched off the bathroom light and padded across the room to crawl into bed next to him. It took her a moment to settle in comfortably on her back, but once she did she looked over at Squall, who had set his magazine aside and rolled onto his side to look at her. "Ellone came to see me today," she said, resting her hands on her stomach.

"What was on Elle's mind?" he asked, brushing a stray strand of hair out of Kylah's eyes.

She smiled softly at the gentle contact. "Well…" she began, "…have you noticed anything off with Laguna since he came home?"

Frowning, Squall shook his head. "To be honest, I've barely seen him," he admitted. "I've been tied up, and every time I'm free it seems like he is. Why?"

Briefly, Kylah filled him in on the conversation she'd had with Ellone. "He's acting really oddly – even for Laguna," she finished up. "We're both very concerned about him."

Squall rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a moment as he carefully considered the situation. Kylah waited patiently; experience told her that it was best to let Squall weigh out the entire situation and not press him for his response before he was ready.

"I'll try talking to him," he finally said.

Kylah sat up on her elbows and looked at him, startled. "You will?" she asked, surprised. Even after two years, he still generally held Laguna at arm's length. They shared the occasional moment of bonding, moments that Kylah knew Laguna treasured and relished because they came so infrequently. For the most part, though, Squall kept his distance from his father and didn't let the older man get all that close. He was very slow to warm up and trust, however hard Laguna worked to overcome that.

Squall nodded. "It's worth a shot," he said. "If everyone else has tried and failed, I might as well take my turn."

Dumbfounded, Kylah stared at him a moment. When her initial shock began to clear, she considered his offer and a smile began to spread over her face. It was entirely possible that Laguna would be so grateful for the time with Squall that he would open up. Smiling, Kylah leaned over and kissed Squall thoroughly on the lips. "Thank you," she said, her tone voicing all that she was grateful for in his offer.

"Don't mention it," he replied, running a finger along her cheek. "Believe it or not, I care about what happens to him too. So, I'll give it a shot. Now," he continued, resting a hand on her stomach. "Let's get some sleep. You're sleeping for two, now, after all."

She nodded, kissed him one more time, and then settled down for some sleep. Once in the darkness, her smile faded to a frown. If Squall wasn't successful in pulling out of Laguna what, exactly, the trouble was, then she didn't know what they were going to do.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Saturday was Laguna's favorite day of the week. It was his day to do as he pleased, without the constraints of the obligations and requirements of his job. There was the occasional state dinner, and he did sometimes use the morning hours to catch up on work when he was behind, but for the most part, it was his day.

This particular Saturday, he'd indulged himself most of the morning by sleeping sinfully late. By the time he'd emerged from his bedroom, the sun was rapidly approaching the midpoint of the sky. He'd puttered around for a bit, watching some TV and checking his e-mail before he'd grabbed a shower and dressed – at least to some point. With nothing but a rare, lazy day ahead of him, Laguna had chosen the most casual of attire – jeans and a sloppy t-shirt – to wear while lounging about his apartment.

He had his head stuck in the fridge in a search for something that resembled brunch when he heard the knock at the door. Sighing, he closed the refrigerator, picked up his cup of coffee from the counter and headed toward the door. He really wasn't in the mood for visitors this early in his day. Then again, he supposed it depended on who was at the door. He imagined that it was Ellone in another kind-hearted attempt to put him in a better mood.

Surprise fell over his features when the door slid open and he found Squall standing in the corridor. "Squall!" he said, sounding startled. His son didn't usually make unexpected calls, so this was a rare treat. Briefly, Laguna looked up and down the corridor. "Kylah and Cass not with you?" he asked. It was even rarer for Squall to drop by alone.

The younger man shook his head. "Cass has a school project due on Monday, and Kylah is trying to help her finish it. Apparently I don't know enough about macaroni artwork to be of help," he added, bemusement in his eyes.

Laguna chuckled and took a sip of his coffee. "Come in," he said, jerking his head back toward the living room. "I'm just working on finding some brunch…"

"Haven't been up long?" Squall asked, raising a brow.

Grinning, Laguna shook his head. "I don't get to sleep in that often, so I decided to take advantage of it."

"I don't think I could sleep in that late if you paid me," Squall observed, flopping across the couch. Years of disciplined early rising had given him the habit of waking up as soon as the sun was up, a fact that annoyed Kylah on days that they could enjoy a bit more time snoozing.

"You want anything?" Laguna asked, nodding toward the kitchen as he began to walk back towards it.

Squall shook his head. "Nah, I'm good," he replied dismissively.

Laguna nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a sandwich in hand and plopped down on a couch across the room from Squall. "So what brings you by?" he asked as he took a big bite out of the sandwich.

His son responded with a casual shrug. "I just hadn't had a chance to talk to you since you got back. And since my artistic talents weren't up to helping Cass, I thought I'd drop in and see how your trip went."

The older man paused, his gaze suddenly fixated on his sandwich. "It was fine," he replied, false cheer in his voice. "I had a great time. Really, I should do that more often."

Silently, Squall regarded him for a moment. "That was a nice try," he began, "but why don't you tell me the truth?"

Annoyed, Laguna looked up from his meal and glared at the younger man. "Which one of them sent you?" he asked. "Kylah, or Ellone?"

"Neither," Squall responded, leaning back lazily. "I came of my own accord, because I wanted to." Laguna grunted in obvious disbelief as he took another bite. "Really, truly I did. I will admit that I came because Kylah told me that you were out of sorts, but," he continued, holding up a silencing hand as Laguna attempted a triumphant interruption, "it wasn't because she asked me to. She told me what was going on and it was enough to make me concerned."

That made Laguna pause and look thoughtful. For Squall to admit that he was concerned was a pretty big deal. The admission shook Laguna up a little, and made him wonder what, exactly, Kylah had told him. Either she had completely exaggerated and blown the entire situation out of proportion, or he really had been acting like that much of a jerk.

Unfortunately, Kylah really wasn't one to exaggerate.

"I…" he hedged, his gaze still fixated on the sandwich. He took a deep breath and then blew it out slowly. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

Deep emotions were definitely not Squall's strong point. And part of him wanted to turn tail and run from this conversation before it got too deep and emotional. Already, he could feel the discomfort beginning to creep up slowly within him. Still, something about the defeated nature of Laguna's posture and the concerned furrow of his brow made Squall fight off the urge to flee. Instead, he sighed briefly and spoke. "Look, I know I'm not good at the emotional stuff like Ellone and I'm not great at solving problems like Kylah, but if you want to talk…"

Laguna's gaze flew up to Squall, shock registering in his green eyes. He was too stunned to move or speak for a full minute, instead staring at his son as if the other man had suddenly grown a second head.

"What!" Squall finally asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

"That was just… different," Laguna replied. He took a sip of coffee to steady himself. He sat quietly for a moment, debating whether or not to speak up about what was really on his mind. It would be nice to at least get some of the things that bothered him off of his chest to at least someone. At the same time, it also touched him that Squall was willing to reach out to him like this. On the other hand, he just wasn't sure if anyone else would really understand what he was going through.

Squall, for his part, sat quietly studying his father. He could nearly see the wheels in the older man's head turning as Laguna debated over whether or not to share what was on his mind. The silence in the room was deafening. Squall was accustomed to Laguna's constant chatter and conversation. This quiet, pensive, almost melancholy Laguna was a bit unnerving.

"Alright," Laguna finally said. He tossed the napkin in his hand aside as he finished up his sandwich and turned to look at his son. "Lately…" he began slowly, "I feel more and more like my life has been one big waste."

For several moments, Squall merely sat in silent disbelief as he stared at Laguna. "You're kidding, right?" he said, shaking his head. "You do know that you're the president of one of the two most powerful nations in the world…right?"

Laguna shot him a withering look. "I may have gotten elected because I wasn't paying attention, but I haven't been completely clueless for twenty-five years," he retorted. Restlessly, he stood and began pacing the room. Squall merely remained in his seat and watched him. Kylah had the same habit when she was excited or in thought about something, so he was used to having a conversation with someone as they restlessly prowled the room.

Frustrated, Laguna stepped over to the window and gazed out over the city. "I've been the leader of this country for a quarter of a century," he said. "And don't get me wrong; I love it. But…" he sighed heavily. "I couldn't even accomplish what I set out to do. I left Winhill to protect Ellone and take her home so that she, Raine, and I could live a quiet, peaceful life together." A short, bitter laugh escaped his lips. "And Elle ended up in an orphanage, Raine died, and here I am, a quarter of a century later, living a cushy life in a nice apartment and leading a powerful nation, and it feels like it means absolutely nothing. I still climb into an empty bed all alone every night."

It was several moments before Squall could even come up with a response to that. Laguna's tirade had caught him completely off-guard, and he wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. "What brought all of this on?" he finally dared to ask.

Despondently, Laguna folded his arms on the window frame and rested his chin on them. "I see you," he began. "You have a beautiful wife, a great kid, and another on the way. I see you and Kylah together, and I think about how much I missed out on." He snorted. "Kiros has begun seeing someone that works here in the palace, and I think even Ward has a girl that he's been seeing across town now. I'm not really sure about that, but he has been strutting around with an awfully smug look on his face."

Squall nodded. Kylah had mentioned Ward and the strutting herself, so that didn't come entirely as a surprise. "Well," he replied slowly. _Geez, this is the last place I want to be…_ he muttered silently to himself. _Giving Laguna love advice…_ "It's not like you exactly get out that much," he tried. "I think Kiros accumulated several numbers from several women who were very willing to get to know you after that magazine came out. Why not… you know… try dating?"

For a minute, the only response from Laguna was a slight twitching of the lips. "I did try," he finally said, reluctantly.

"Huh?" Squall asked, confused. Between his wife and his sister, he was usually pretty well-informed of the goings on of the palace, whether he wanted to be or not. Surely one of them would have told him if Laguna had been on a date. "When? Who? Where?"

"You forgot 'How?' and 'Why?'" Laguna deadpanned. He shoved himself away from the window and turned to Squall. "While I was on vacation," he admitted. "I met a really great woman. We hit it off, spent some time together, and even went on a couple dates." Embarrassment flushed his cheeks and he looked away. "When it came down to it, though," he said, quietly, "I just couldn't do it. I kinda ruined a perfectly pleasant evening by telling her that I couldn't see her anymore, and then I left. That's…why I came home early."

_Oh boy…_ Squall thought. _This conversation is just going into all kinds of places that I don't want to go. _"So," he asked, "why, exactly, couldn't you see her anymore?"

Unexpectedly, pain and vulnerability flashed across Laguna's face. He turned away from Squall and gazed down at the silver band on his left hand. "It's funny," he said, so softly that Squall had to strain to hear him, "how even after twenty-five years I still feel like I'm betraying her."

Understanding and compassion dawned on Squall's face. He, better than anyone, understood the dilemma that Laguna had faced and the confusion and hurt that went along with it. He knew how it felt to punish yourself for a death of someone that you loved so much, especially when it was a death that you wonder if you could have prevented if only you had just been there. Sighing, he reached a hand up to clap over Laguna's shoulder. "Are you happy living life the way you are now?" he asked, though he already knew the answer based on the speech Laguna had given minutes before.

"No," he admitted. "I mean, I love my job. This is the best job in the world. And it's great to have my family around, and I have two of the best friends in the entire world. So it doesn't completely suck. But… you know… I have needs just like the next guy."

Squall closed his eyes and swore under his breath. "I could have gone my entire life without hearing that," he muttered. He removed his hand from Laguna's shoulder and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Despite himself, Laguna chuckled. "I guess, more than anything, I want to feel like this entire thing has meant something. When I've accomplished something great and really done something for Esthar, I don't have anyone really to share it with. And when my day is particularly crappy, there's no one to share the burden." He sighed heavily. "For a long time, I thought it was just that I really missed Raine. And I really still do, every single day of my life. But now? It's more than just missing her. It's feeling completely alone in the world. But if I try to do something about that, I feel so incredibly guilty about the whole thing, and like I'm being unfaithful. It's a no-win situation."

The younger man thought things over. "Lemme ask you something," he said. "If your positions were reversed and you were the one that died and she lived, would you want her to spend the rest of her life beating herself up for what she might have been able to do and making herself miserable in the process?"

Laguna took a minute to consider. "No, I wouldn't," he replied. "I'd want her to be happy."

"So, don't you think she'd want the same for you?"

He sighed and looked away. "I know she would. In my head at least…"

"I know it's not easy," Squall said, softly. "I've been there myself. But, as someone told me two years ago, you can't live your life for what might have been and what might be. You have to live your life for right now. If you don't like the way your life is right now, then it's in your power to change it."

"Pretty wise words," Laguna sighed after he had considered it for a moment.

"Yep," Squall agreed. A small grin tugged at his lips. "It was you that told me that."

Laguna made a face. "Yeah… well… It's easier to say it than to do it." He turned to Squall and actually smiled. "In some weird, twisted way, you did make me feel better today. Thanks, kid."

Squall actually returned the smile. It was one of those rare moments that he genuinely felt a connection of some sort with his father. "Any time, Dad," he replied.

* * *

Later that night, Laguna set about getting himself ready for bed. He had brushed his teeth and loosed his ponytail so that his dark hair fell free over his shoulders, and then finally stripped down and changed into a loose, comfortable pair of sleep pants. Flipping off the bathroom light, he walked into his bedroom.

He stood for a minute and gazed at the large bed that occupied a large portion of the room. He knew he needed sleep, but even his talk with Squall that afternoon didn't make bedtime any easier. For quite a few days, he had put it off each night as long as he could.

Sighing, he stepped over to his dresser. He casually removed his watch, and the dog tags that he still wore every single day, though he hadn't been a soldier in years. He started, then, to head toward the bed but stopped. For the tenth time that day, he raised his left hand to look at it.

The light from the lamp by the bed reflected off of the solitary silver band. For several silent moments, Laguna studied the band, remembering the night he had first put it on. He hadn't once taken it off since.

He bit his lip, and slowly reached his right hand up to grasp the ring. Slowly, carefully, and swallowing hard, he slipped the warm silver band from his finger and held it up. "I love you," he murmured. "And I always will." Laguna then opened up a small drawer in the caddy on top of his dresser and slipped the ring inside. Refusing himself to look back, he turned and crawled in between the cool sheets of the big bed, flipped off the lamp, and settled down to try and sleep.

It was time that he learned to move on with his life.

_Author's Note: No, this isn't the end. Far from it. I was playing through the game one day, and it really hit me just how sad Laguna's story really is. And, I thought about how that would affect a person over time. And so, before I really got into the meat of the story, I really wanted to take some time to establish where Laguna is coming from. Delve into the deeper emotions that he has. Let's face it: his life, in many ways, has really sucked. And so, I wanted to explore that a little. _

_But that's far from the end of the story. _


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I don't want to, and you can't make me."

Kylah exchanged an amused glance with Kiros and then turned back to the pad in her hand. "You promised to go, so you can't get out of it now. Tough cookies."

"I sign your paychecks you know," Laguna grumbled, glancing over some information on his computer screen.

"No you don't," Kylah shot back. "Marty in accounting signs my paychecks."

"It won't be that bad, man," Kiros spoke up. "You'll go in, give a few cheerful and encouraging words, congratulate a few SeeD graduates, and then come home."

"…"

"Yeah, the whole thing will take less than 2 hours."

Laguna heaved a long-suffering sigh. "I'm okay with all of that," he replied. "But do I have to wear that stupid suit?"

"No," Kylah replied, reasonably. "You don't absolutely have to." He looked at her with a hopeful grin. "You can wear your traditional Estharian robes if you'd rather…"

His face fell. "Okay, okay… The suit it is."

"I dunno, man. The robes have great circulation," Kiros observed.

"…"

"Yeah, Ward's right. The breeze feels really great on your –"

"DON'T finish that sentence," Kylah interjected, making a face. "Unless you're dead set on the target of that breeze being removed."

Laguna threw his head back and howled with laughter. It had been a month since his abrupt return from vacation, and three weeks since his conversation with Squall. It had taken a little more time, but gradually the mood and energy of the presidential offices had returned to normal, and with it the good-natured banter that he and his staff usually shared.

It was morning in Esthar, and the foursome had gathered in Laguna's office as they typically did every morning to go over the day's schedules. "Okay, so suit and congratulations for me early afternoon," Laguna said, making a note on his calendar. "Anything else of earth-shattering importance on the agenda today?"

"The new palace doctor arrives today," Kylah said. "I'll be meeting her on the landing pad this afternoon. I've cleared my schedule for the rest of the afternoon, then, so that I can show her around and help her settle in, and then tomorrow morning I'll go over unfinished projects that she'll be responsible for."

The position of head physician at the presidential palace involved more than seeing to the health care of the palace's occupants. The doctor was also responsible for overseeing all health-care related facilities in all Esthar territories, including the building of new facilities and upgrades to existing ones. Given the Estharian technology available, it was also a research position. The doctor, as time allowed, would be responsible for heading up any and all medical research and development of new treatments and cures. It was a huge responsibility, and Kylah and Kiros had teamed up to spend the better part of two months searching for the right individual to fill the spot.

"A female this time, eh?" Laguna mused. It suddenly occurred to him that he really knew absolutely nothing about the individual that Kylah and Kiros had chosen. "I'm not sure how I feel about having a female doctor…"

"…"

"Ward says that it'll make the whole 'turn your head and cough' experience a lot more pleasant."

Laguna chuckled around a mouthful of coffee. "Maybe…" he said. He had visions of the new doctor being a plump, middle-aged woman with a no-nonsense businesslike approach to the entire business of medicine. He didn't see how that would improve anything.

Kylah merely rolled her eyes. She started to write something on her pad, but suddenly groaned softly and rubbed a spot on her protruding belly. "Oof," she muttered.

"Are you okay?" Laguna asked, suddenly anxious. Having missed out on the entire experience of impending fatherhood, he had never really spent much time with pregnant women. Every little moan, groan, and sigh that Kylah emitted made him jumpy and nervous, and usually caused him to rush to her side in an attempt to help with whatever she was doing.

"Oh yeah," she replied, "I'm fine. I'm actually kinda getting used to being kicked in the spleen every so often."

Laguna laughed, polished off the last of his coffee, and jumped up out of his chair. "Alright, I've got a shindig to go get ready for. Kylah," he said, "good luck with the new doctor." He stopped in front of her on his way to the door and bent low to have a word with his newest grandchild. He lightly rested a hand on Kylah's middle, prompting her to smirk. "Hey, you," he said, "give your mom a break every once in a while, okay?" He was rewarded with a firm kick to the palm. The sensation delighted him, and he grinned broadly.

"I'll catch you guys later," he said, and strode out of the office to change for the SeeD ceremony.

* * *

Dr. Brenna Cormac sat on the passenger deck of the Ragnarok, her face as close to plastered to the window as she could manage. She'd never before visited Esthar, and so the sight of the city skyline simply took her breath away. She hadn't expected it to be quite so beautiful, and such a contrast to the cities of Dollet and Deling that she was used to. Everything here was sleek, shiny and modern, yet held an imposing power that was sure to impress any visitor.

Butterflies were fluttering rapidly in Brenna's stomach and she pressed a palm against her abdomen to calm them. It had been a shock when Minister Deraldi had called to offer her the job. She had known that the interview had gone well, but she also knew that the odds were stacked against her. At only 38, Brenna was younger than many of the other applicants for the position, and lacked the years of experience many of them had. It was her experience with research and administration that had tipped the scales in her favor, according to the Minister, skills that would be a huge asset for her responsibilities.

With no family to speak of and no real attachments in Deling City, she had jumped at the position when it was offered. The opportunities it would offer were mind blowing; she would be in charge not only of the well-being of the presidential staff, but would be administrating the health-care system for the entire nation. In addition, she would have access to research equipment the likes of which she had only dreamed of. If Brenna had ever wanted to make a real difference in the medical world, her chance was now firmly in front of her. She had only to reach out and take it.

And take it she had. In only moments, she would be landing in Esthar and would begin her new life. It was exciting and at the same time terrifying. Did she really have what it would take to do this job and do it right?

"Dr. Cormac, we'll be landing in approximately five minutes," the pilot's pleasant voice floated down from a speaker above.

"Oh! Th-thank you!" she replied, her nervousness tingeing her tone. She withdrew a small mirror from her handbag and inspected her appearance. She had pulled the top of her hair back from her face that day, leaving most of her riotous blonde tresses to fall down over her shoulders. Though she generally didn't bother with makeup, she had taken the time to at least apply a little lip color, a pale pink that hardly added any color at all. Her pale green eyes did stand out from her porcelain skin, the one attractive attribute that she thought she had. Her mouth, in her opinion, was a bit too small and her nose was certainly nothing spectacular. Her hair might be pretty if it would only come under control every once in a while.

She had dressed in a bulky green turtleneck sweater that would shield her from the cold at this time of year, and topped it with a pair of fawn-colored slacks, a matching jacket, and coordinating low boots. On her nose, she wore a pair of thin, wire-rimmed glasses that only added to the conservative and scholarly look that she portrayed.

Brenna felt the massive ship slide to a stand-still, and the butterflies picked up their flight pattern. "We've landed, Doctor," the pilot spoke up from above. "You can feel free to disembark whenever you're ready."

"Thanks again!" she called. She stood, brushed imaginary dust off of her slacks, and hefted up the carryon she had brought with her. Then, taking a deep breath for strength, she strode toward the back of the ship and outside.

Minister Deraldi was waiting for her when she stepped out onto the landing pad. Even seven months pregnant, she was a knockout. Her glossy auburn hair was pulled up into a sleek updo, and the makeup on her beautiful face was flawless. She was dressed in a deep cherry sweater over a white button up blouse, jeans, and black boots. All in all, the bright colors and impeccable taste made Brenna feel frumpy and nearly invisible next to her.

"Dr. Cormac!" the younger, energetic woman greeted her. "Welcome to Esthar! How was your flight?"

Brenna held the strap of her carryon down in front of her with both hands. "It was very smooth," she replied. "Thank you for sending the ship after me. I must say, it's a very impressive machine."

Kylah grinned. "Don't mention it!" she said. "One of the many perks of being on the president's payroll." She nodded in the direction of the waiting transport. "Come on," she continued. "I've cleared the afternoon to give you the grand tour of the palace, and help get you settled into the hospital wing."

The two women fell into step together to walk toward the transport, making polite small talk with each step. Covertly, Kylah watched with amusement as the other woman stared around her in awe. "Impressive sight, isn't it?" she commented.

Brenna looked momentarily startled. "Yes, it is," she agreed, smiling. "I've never been here before, so I wasn't expecting this. It's… amazing!"

The redhead chuckled. "I remember I felt the same way the first time I came here," she said. "I guess when you've been here a while you get a little more used to it. Then again," she said, looking up at the skyline, "it still does catch my breath every once in a while."

They settled into the seats in the transport comfortably. "Exactly how many patients will I be responsible for?" Brenna asked, crossing one leg over the other and locking her hands around one knee.

"You'll be responsible for the presidential palace staff and their families," she explained. "Most of the palace staff has an apartment within the palace, including the president and myself. Most of the top officials have an apartment on the same floor. My husband and I, for example, live three apartments down from the president. You'll have your own apartment on the same floor, but close to the hospital wing for convenience in case of an emergency."

Brenna nodded. "What is the president like?" she asked. Because she lived the majority of her live either in a hospital or a lab, she paid absolutely no attention to politics. She was embarrassed to have to admit that she didn't even know the president's name.

Her companion chuckled. "He's… not your average president," she began. "You'll find that the atmosphere around the palace is very relaxed. President Loire is very informal with his staff. This," she said, gesturing toward her attire, "is the dress code for most days. He's relaxed, he's energetic, and he's very hard to keep up with sometimes. But, he has a heart for Esthar and its people; he loves the people as much as they love him."

"He sounds like a nice guy," Brenna observed. She visibly relaxed. She'd had the pleasure of meeting President Caraway of Galbadia several times, and he was the stereotypical image that one might form of a president. It sounded like the Estharian president would be quite a bit different.

"He is," Kylah agreed. "I'm very fond of him. Partly because he's a great boss," she paused and grinned. "And partly because he's a great father-in-law."

A laugh escaped Brenna's lips. "So you're married to his son?"

"Yep!" the redhead responded proudly. "And carrying his second grandchild," she added, patting her tummy.

"How long will it be before you'll be needing my services?" Brenna asked, nodding at the protrusion.

"Two more months," Kylah sighed. "If I can last that long."

By this time, they had arrived at the palace. The two disembarked, and the transport driver immediately reached for Brenna's luggage. "I'll see that this finds its way to your new apartment," he offered kindly.

"Thanks, Aaron," Kylah responded. She turned to Brenna. "That'll give us a chance to take a tour of the palace."

Together, the two women spent the next hour walking around the palace. Kylah pointed out the fitness area and many apartments of several top staff members. They took a whirlwind tour through the hospital wing, Brenna's eyes drinking in the shiny equipment, most of which she had only ever dreamed of operating. She made a mental note to come back later that evening when she would have time to explore her new domain in a bit more detail.

"And right there is my office," Kylah said a little while later, pointing to a door. "I usually keep a pretty open-door policy, and sometimes it's easier to get hold of me than it is President Loire. Besides, many of the projects that you'll be in charge of that are on the agenda at the moment fall under my jurisdiction, so you'll be working with me a little more closely than him."

"Such as?" Brenna asked, anxious to be getting an idea of what kinds of projects she'd be jumping into.

"Such as the hospital we're helping to build in Fisherman's Horizon," Kylah replied. "They have doctors there, so they can treat minor illnesses and injuries, but anything serious has to be transferred either to Esthar or Balamb. Once this hospital is completed, they'll be much more self-sufficient and better able to take care of their people."

By now they had reached the door to Laguna's office. "Let's just take a peek in and see if the boss is in," Kylah said. She lightly tapped on the door, and when she received no reply slid it open and stuck her head in. She found the office silent and empty. "Ah, I guess he's not back yet," she said, looking around. Turning, she offered Brenna an apologetic look. "The president had an appointment early this afternoon, and I guess he hasn't returned yet."

As if he had heard Kylah speak, Laguna's voice suddenly floated in from the corridor outside of the office. "Man, I'm telling you, some of those kids didn't even look old enough to shave. I have no idea how they think they're going to fare in a big, bloody battle. The first time someone loses a limb, I guarantee that they'll lose their lunch—"

Laguna cut his sentence off short as he passed through the door. He flashed a greeting smile to his daughter-in-law, and then turned his attention to her companion. As his gaze rested on Brenna, the color abruptly drained from his face. His green eyes widened and his jaw fell open.

The culmination of his performance was a sharp shooting pain that shot through his leg, causing it to contort upwards and sent him stumbling across the floor until he fell promptly on his backside.

"B-Brenna?" he croaked, bewildered.

Brenna for her part, stared at him in complete, utter shock. She, too, looked pale and unsteady. "Laguna?"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stunned silence filled the presidential office for several long, agonizing moments. Nearly everyone in attendance was afraid to say something, yet everyone was dying to know exactly what was going on.

Kylah glanced back and forth between Laguna and Brenna several times before she finally sent both Kiros and Ward a questioning look. Both men shrugged helplessly and returned her baffled look with one of their own. They didn't know anything more than she did.

"I guess you two know each other?" she finally ventured.

* * *

_Annoyance reverberated out of Laguna's very being as he flopped down on one end of the couch in the Trabian ski lodge. He didn't want to be there. In his opinion, he didn't need a vacation. He loved his job, loved his home, and hadn't wanted to leave. And so, he was determined to have as miserable of a time while he was gone as he possibly could._

"_You look about as happy to be here as I am," a female voice interrupted his thoughts._

_Laguna looked down the couch to find that the source of the voice had taken up residence on the opposite end. She, too, looked unhappy to be there. Her cheeks were flushed with annoyance, leaving a rosy glow on her creamy skin. And her striking green eyes flashed with passion and anger. _

_He grimaced in response to her statement. "Yeah, well," he replied, "my family and friends all but hog-tied me and made me come. They said I needed a vacation. I was perfectly content to stay home for a few days, but they said it'd be good for me to get out some."_

_The woman chuckled, a bell-like sound that somehow brought a genuine smile to Laguna's lips. "My friends essentially did the same to me. They said that I spend entirely too much time cooped up indoors and need to get out more." She offered him a wry grin._

_Laguna laughed in return and leaned his head back against the back of the couch. "Don't you love how they know what's best for you better than you do?"_

"_Yes, well, I suppose they mean well," the woman replied, amusement finally creeping into her own tone. "However, I wish they'd at least consulted me on the location before they packed me up and shipped me off. I think I would have preferred a nice, tropical location by the sea."_

"_Yes!" Laguna replied, grinning. "Now you're talking. I mean, snow? How do they expect me to enjoy myself when there's two feet of snow outside?"_

"_Don't you know?" she replied in a mocking tone. "'Skiing is wonderful exercise, and the brisk mountain air will be good for you!'" she mimicked. _

"_And so would the nice sea air," he retorted, signaling for a server circling the common room of the lodge. The server smiled and brought over a tray of hot cocoa that he was carrying. Laguna took one mug for himself and offered another to his companion. The blonde woman smiled and graciously accepted a mug._

"_Here's to friends and family," Laguna said, holding up his mug in a mock toast._

"_Bless them," the woman echoed, clinking her mug against his and then taking a generous sip._

"_Oh!" Laguna said, suddenly realizing how rude he was being. "I haven't introduced myself. The name is Laguna. Laguna Loire."_

"_Brenna," she replied, smiling. "Brenna Cormac. It's a pleasure to meet you, Laguna."

* * *

_

"We've met," Brenna replied to Kylah's inquiry with a terse tone. The shock of the situation had faded from her face and had been replaced with cool distance and disdain.

"You have?" Kiros asked, still looking between them, baffled. "You didn't say anything when we interviewed you…"

"I wasn't aware that Laguna was employed here," she replied.

"He's more than employed here," Kylah replied, carefully studying the both of them. "He's the president."

Shock once again hit Brenna like a bolt of lightning. The president? She would be working for him? When she started to recover from this stunning revelation, she closed her eyes, counted to ten, and prayed to Hyne for the patience to get through this situation.

By this time, Laguna had finally managed to recover himself. He hauled himself to his feet, brushed off his trousers, and offered Brenna a hand. "It's, ah, good to see you again, Brenna," he began.

"That's Dr. Cormac, Mr. President," she replied coolly as she accepted the handshake. Laguna could swear that he felt icicles shoot up his arm from her hand as it slid into his. "Since I'm to be your employee and all, we should maintain some professional distance."

Silently, Laguna swore. He wondered briefly if it was too late for Kylah to re-evaluate her decision and find another new doctor. "If you think that's best," he said, hesitantly. "Though, I generally like to maintain an informal staff…"

"Then I suppose I'll be informal with the rest of your staff," she retorted in a sickeningly polite tone. "But I would prefer to maintain a distance from you, Mr. President." A tight smile touched her lips. "I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to greet me, but I imagine that you're a busy man." She abruptly turned on her heel and faced a still-stunned Kylah. "If you would be so kind," she said, her voice several degrees warmer and very friendly as she addressed the younger woman, "I'd really like to see my apartment now."

* * *

"What in the world did you do to earn yourself such a low opinion in the good doctor's opinion?" Kylah asked several hours later as she entered Laguna's office. 

The older man groaned. "Its long story and I don't feel like going into it," he responded, scowling.

With a bit of effort, Kylah managed to perch herself on the edge of the desk beside him. "Is it going to work out with her being on the staff? I mean, I had no idea that she even knew you, much less thought so… ill of you."

Idly, Laguna toyed with a half-empty coffee cup on his desk. "She has good reason to, I suppose. Frankly, I'd have decked me or something."

This confession really raised Kylah's curiosity and her eyebrows at the same time. "Laguna, what did you do!"

"Like I said, I'd rather not talk about it," he replied. Stretching, he rose from his chair and offered her a hand so he could help her down from the desk. "You heading out for the day?"

"Yep," she said as she hopped down. She picked up her briefcase and started to head toward the door, but paused. "You know you can talk if you need to, right?"

"I know," he said, smiling fondly at her. "But, I'm not ready to talk about it yet. Now," he added, nudging her at the door, "I'm sure you're husband is wondering where you are. Go home."

Grumbling, Kylah bid him a good evening and strode out the door. When she had let the door slide shut behind her, Laguna heaved a sigh of relief. The jovial grin he'd had faded into a furrowed expression of concern.

To be truthful, he wasn't sure if it would work out with Brenna now being on staff. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told Kylah that the other woman had good reason to dislike him. If he were in her shoes, he'd probably dislike him too.

But, Kylah and Kiros had both been very sure that she was the best candidate for the job, and he trusted their judgment. If they thought she was the best, then he wanted her on his staff whether it killed him or not.

Reluctantly, he headed out the door. Like it or not, he needed to face the music, and convince her that she needed to stay on staff.

It took him several moments of pacing in the corridor outside of her apartment and three leg cramps before Laguna got up the nerve to knock on Brenna's door. She came to the door a moment later with a pleasant smile on her face. A smile that faded as soon as she saw who was waiting in the corridor.

"Good evening, Mr. President," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "How can I help you?"

For a brief moment he thought longingly of the charming, open woman that he'd chatted with in Trabia. "I was kinda hoping we could talk for a minute," he replied carefully.

Brenna sighed and closed her eyes. "I can't really think of anything that we have to talk about," she said, "but if you insist." She stepped aside to allow him entrance into her apartment. "Please do make it brief," she added. "I have a lot of unpacking to do before the morning."

Stiffly, Laguna strode into her sitting room. Though he knew that he deserved it, the cold shoulder that he was receiving still chafed. He stood in the middle of the room and waited for her to close the door and enter the sitting room. When she had sat down, he too took a seat, though he sat rather uncomfortably under her piercing gaze.

"Look, Brenna—" he began.

"Dr. Cormac," she corrected him, her voice chilly.

He took a deep breath and tried again, "Doctor," he amended. "I wanted to apologize for what happened in Trabia."

Brenna remained silent, her eyes resting on him and her chin inclined defiantly. "Well at least that's something," she finally replied, calmly.

For a moment, he wished he was dealing with someone like Kylah. Someone that would express her emotions – loudly – and then move on with life. He knew how to respond to that. This was completely new and completely foreign to him.

Then again, in some ways it was like dealing with Squall. _Yeah, that's it. Just imagine that you're trying to get through to Squall._

Unfortunately, with one look at the soft blonde hair, flushed creamy skin, and piercing green eyes, Laguna knew there would be know way he would be able to compare her to Squall.

"I didn't handle the situation really well," he admitted, "and I imagine you were hurt—"

"Try humiliated and confused," she replied, her tone a deadly calm.

Laguna nodded slowly. "Yeah, I can kinda see why you'd feel that way."

"You didn't even really give me an explanation, Laguna," she replied, her voice now soft and hurt. "You just… left." Brenna sighed softly, stood, and walked over to gaze out over the city, hugging herself tightly. "I guess, for once, I let myself get my hopes up. I thought you might really be attracted to me, and I really thought we had something good going. But, I suppose that, being the president and all, you have far prettier women throwing themselves at you all the time. So, I understand perfectly," she added. "I just wish I hadn't let myself get so involved."

Laguna let out a short, bitter laugh. "No, you don't understand," he murmured.

Slowly, she turned from the window. "Then explain it to me."

Silence mingled with the tension that hung heavy in the air for several moments. "I don't think I can explain it so that you could understand," he finally said, earnestly. "All I can tell you is that it really was me and not you."

Brenna rolled her eyes. "That's the oldest line in the book. I get it, Laguna," she continued. "I wasn't good enough to fit in your glamorous political world. You don't have to protect me."

Frustration blew past Laguna's lips in one quick breath. "Look," he said, anxious to get this conversation over with before he gave into the urge to punch the nearest wall out of sheer frustration. "I came tonight because I wanted to tell you that I don't want you to leave the staff because of what happened. Kylah and Kiros both have a lot of confidence in your ability to do this job, and I trust their judgment. If they want you in the position, then I do too."

"Oh, I'm not leaving," she replied, her voice regaining that chilly disdain. "I'd be stupid to give up a job opportunity like this."

"Really?" Laguna asked, hopefully. "You aren't going to leave?"

"No," she shook her head. "This is a job that I've dreamed of all my life. I'm grateful to Minister Deraldi and Minister Seagill for giving me the opportunity. No, I plan to stay." She took a deep breath. "Minister Deraldi said that I would be working more directly with her anyway, and that suits me fine. I can do my job and stay as far out of your way as possible."

"Brenna, I—"

"I've asked you before, Mr. President, to please call me Dr. Cormac," she said, coldly. "Now, if you don't mind, I do need to finish unpacking, as I have an early meeting with Minister Deraldi."

By the time she had finished her sentence, Brenna was standing by the door, holding it open for Laguna to pass through. The Estharian president sighed and met her request. Quietly, he passed through the doorway without looking at her. "Good night, doctor," he said softly. "I'll see you around."

Brenna managed to maintain her stiff, cold posture only long enough for the door to slide closed, leaving her alone in the apartment. Only when she was sure Laguna couldn't see did she allow her shoulders to sag. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the door.

It wasn't easy to maintain such a cold distance with him. She hadn't known him long, but she had known him long enough to know that he was a warm, caring person and very easy to talk to and get along with. The evenings they'd shared talking and laughing together in Trabia had been a joy. The very thought of them sent unwelcome warm sensations flooding through Brenna, and at the same time made the pain she felt about how it all ended even more acute.

Slowly, she walked away from the door and flopped down on the couch. She dragged a throw pillow up into her lap and hugged it tightly. "This won't be easy, Brenna," she murmured to herself. "But you're strong. You can get through this."

* * *

_Author's Note: Wow, Brenna came off as much more cold-hearted than I wanted her too. But, as the saying goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scored." Don't be too quick to judge her, though; there are many sides to Brenna Cormac, and we're just scratching the surface. _


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The continual thud of his feet on the treadmill below him was somehow soothing to Laguna. He was in remarkably good shape for his age, and that was largely due to his daily workout regimen. He refused to let himself go. And, in some ways, the routine was soothing and stress-relieving in what was often a high-stress job.

This particular morning, he had a lot of stress to work out. The argument he'd had with Brenna the night before weighed heavily on his mind even hours later. His sleep had been restless the night before because of it, and he could literally feel the tension built up in his shoulders and back. Even at this early hour, he had already managed to run two miles in an attempt to relieve the tension, and yet he still didn't feel any more relaxed than he had when he started.

As he approached three miles, the door to the fitness room slid open. Laguna glanced up from his running to see a rather surprised-looking Squall enter the room. The younger man nodded in greeting. He was always in the fitness room at this time of morning, but he wasn't used to seeing Laguna here this early. Squall liked to be there early so that he could be alone for a while and workout without distraction. Truth be told, he was a little disgruntled at having his solitary routine disrupted. Sure, the room was free for use to anyone who lived in the palace, but this was his personal time.

On the other hand, he observed as he set about stretching out his muscles before he hit the weights, it looked as if Laguna was going to run the wheels off the treadmill. When he had finished his stretching, he strode over to the treadmill that stood next to Laguna's, climbed up on it, and turned it on.

The two men ran alongside each other in silence for several minutes. "So what's eating you?" Squall finally asked over the whirr of machinery.

"I'm surprised Kylah didn't say anything," Laguna puffed.

"She mentioned something about you and the new doctor already being acquainted," Squall replied. He shot a sidelong glance at his father. "I don't suppose she would be the woman you mentioned from your vacation?" Laguna responded with a dark glare and picked up the speed on his treadmill. Squall chuckled. "I guess, then, she wasn't too thrilled to see you."

"She threw me out of her apartment last night," Laguna muttered darkly.

Squall raised his eyebrows slightly, a habit he had picked up from Kylah. "What were you doing in her apartment?" he asked, a hint of devilment in his eyes.

"Most definitely not what you're thinking." Laguna slowed the pace on the treadmill back down a bit. "I went to apologize to her and to make sure she wasn't planning on leaving her new job because of me."

Squall considered that. "Seems like a kind enough thing to do," he observed. It didn't explain why he'd been thrown out, though. "What, exactly, did you say to apologize?"

"I told her the truth. That the problem wasn't her, it was me."

The younger man rolled his eyes and groaned. "You do know that's one of the absolute oldest lines in the book, and usually translates to 'It wasn't me, it was you.'"

"Well how was I supposed to know that!" Laguna asked. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've done this dating stuff?"

The corners of Squall's mouth twitched with amusement. "I'd say twenty-five years or more," he deadpanned.

Again, Laguna glared. "What would you suggest I do then, Mr. Smart-Ass?"

"First I'd suggest never calling me that again. Remember, I am younger, faster, and have better training."

"…Okay, you've got me there."

"Secondly, what do you want to do?"

Laguna knew exactly what Squall was asking and gave the situation some serious thought. "You know, I really enjoyed the brief bit of time I spent with her in Trabia. I'd like to know where it might have gone if I hadn't been so chicken." He sighed. "I won't say that this dating stuff is easy, but you were right when you said that I need to move on with my life. I want to give it a shot, and know where things might have gone with her."

Squall nodded. "Then I'd first recommend giving her a proper apology. Irvine says that begging and groveling works wonders."

"He'd know," Laguna replied, amused.

"Secondly, you've gotta figure out a way to get back into her good graces."

"Good graces, huh?" the older man mused. He was quiet for several minutes as he took a good long look at the situation before him. What could he do to get back into Brenna's good graces?

Inspiration hit him so suddenly that he jumped upright, lost his balance, and fell off of the treadmill. "I've got it!" he cried, joyously. He grabbed his towel, threw it around his neck, and took off for the door. "Squall," he said, turning back around, "thanks!" A second later, he was gone.

"Don't mention it," Squall chuckled, turning up the treadmill so that he could really get his workout underway.

* * *

"Kylah, have I ever told you how beautiful you really are?" 

It was mid-afternoon, and Kylah was busily poring over a file and considering an upcoming meeting that she had with the mayor of Balamb. Slowly, she raised her head and looked suspiciously to the door where Laguna leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Not since my wedding day," she replied carefully. She watched as Laguna strode into the room and hopped up on the desk so that he could sit and talk to her.

"You really are," he continued, his most charming smile brightening his face. "I'll bet you pop out a beautiful baby, too."

Slowly, Kylah returned the pen in her hand to her desktop. "What do you want, and how much is it going to cost me?"

Laguna looked offended. "Now what makes you think—"

She merely raised her eyebrow and shot him what was affectionately called by the men in her life, "the look."

"Okay, okay," Laguna said, his grin becoming sheepish. He cleared his throat. "I want to take over the Fisherman's Horizon hospital project."

Kylah leaned back in her chair and regarded him for a moment. "Why?" she asked, finally.

"Because I care very much about the people of Fisherman's Horizon," he said, just as he'd rehearsed. "I want to make sure that they have the most top-quality facilities that money can buy."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you'd be working with Dr. Cormac, would it?" she smirked.

"Maybe a little," he admitted, "but only because she's new to the staff, and I want to see what she's capable of. It's important that I get to know each and every one of my staff members personally."

Kylah couldn't argue that. "You do know that you'll have to work with Mayor Dobe, right?" she asked. "I know how much you care for him."

He fought off the grimace that threatened to rise. "I can handle Dobe," he insisted, stubbornly.

It was several more minutes before Kylah would speak again. Finally, she sighed and reached into her desk. "I think that's the biggest line of BS that I've ever heard you spout," she chuckled, shaking her head. "If you really want it, then here." She handed him a file folder, nearly two inches thick. "All of the plans, permits, and everything we've put together so far regarding this project are right here. It's yours."

"Thank you!" Laguna said, snatching the folder and jumping off of the desk. He planted a firm, wet kiss on Kylah's cheek. "Thank you so much! I won't forget this!"

And then, in a blur of blue and khaki, he fled her office in the direction of his own.

* * *

For the next two days, Laguna kept himself holed up in his office. On the occasion that someone did see him, he seemed like he was in a good mood, focused, and determined about something. He seemed excited, even, about whatever project it was that he was working on. 

On the third day, Kiros and Ward dared to stick their noses into his office. They found him seated at his desk, papers spread out on the desktop before him. The two men glanced at each other, then crept over to the desk. Kiros started to reach for one of the papers to take a peek at whatever Laguna was looking at, but immediately had his hand swatted away.

"I'm not done with that one yet," Laguna murmured, still engrossed in whatever he was reading.

Again, Kiros and Ward shot each other a puzzled look. "What the heck are you doing, man?" Kiros asked. "You hate paperwork."

"Yep, but sometimes you gotta do what you've gotta do," he replied, turning away from the paperwork to enter something into his computer. "I want to do this project, and to do it I have to do the paperwork." He sighed. "And so, here I am."

"…"

"Yeah, what project is it?"

"The Fisherman's Horizon hospital project," he murmured, distractedly.

And now Kiros was completely confused. "I thought that was Kylah's project?" he ventured.

"It was, but I asked her if I could handle it."

"…"

"Ward would like to remind you that you hate working with Mayor Dobe on anything, and wants to know if you've lost your mind."

Laguna laughed. "Like I said, sometimes you gotta do what you've gotta do."

"Okay, I've kept my mouth shut for a few days," Kiros began, "but now I've really got to say something. Laguna, you're acting bizarre. Even for you. What the heck is going on?"

As he took a slow sip of coffee, he dared to look up at his friend from under the lock of hair that fell over his forehead. "I don't suppose you'd believe that I have a sudden and pressing fear that if this project doesn't get finished then the people of Fisherman's Horizon will suffer?"

"…"

"Not a chance."

"Didn't think so." He drained his mug and returned it to the desk. "Then let's just settle for 'I have my reasons, but I'm not ready to talk about it yet.'"

Kiros and Ward both looked offended. "We've been your best friends for nearly thirty years," Kiros protested. "Why the hell can't you tell us what's going on?"

Embarrassment crept up into Laguna's cheeks. "Because you'll make fun of me for it," he muttered.

Realization dawned on both men's faces at once. "Would this have anything to do with the lovely new doctor?" Kiros ventured. Ward shook with silent laughter.

Laguna didn't turn from the computer screen, but his face was now a glowing crimson. "Knock it off," he warned.

"So it does?" Kiros asked, grinning. "C'mon, Laguna, tell us what's going on?"

"What are you guys talking about?" a voice spoke up from the door. Three heads swiveled around to find Squall standing in the doorway, an eyebrow raised as he looked between the three men gathered around the desk.

"…"

"Yeah, we're talking about Laguna's love life," Kiros translated for Ward.

Squall snorted. "That's a short conversation."

"Hey!" Laguna spoke up indignantly. "That would be a long conversation! A very, VERY long conversation! Might last all night!"

His three companions merely gazed at him in silence.

"Never mind," he grumbled, admitting defeat. He slunk down in his chair and returned to the computer.

"Not unless the 'long' refers to the amount of time between your dates," Kiros snickered.

Even Laguna laughed good-naturedly at that comment. He had to admit, he hadn't exactly been known as a playboy president. The last date he'd been on had been with Raine, which was kind of depressing in the grand scheme of things.

"Anyway," Kiros began, turning to Squall, "Ward and I were trying to figure out what this big project that Laguna is working on has to do with the new doctor."

"Oh," Squall replied. "That. I already know what's going on."

"What?" Kiros sounded enraged. Even Ward looked offended. "Tell us!"

"No."

Laguna refused to turn around, but he could be seen grinning at his computer screen.

"Why not?"

"Because I was asked not to," Squall replied, sounding impatient.

"…"

"Laguna, Ward wants you to tell Squall that he can tell us what's going on."

"Oh, gee, lemme think about that," Laguna replied. "I need to think really hard. Oh, um… No!"

"Bastard," Kiros muttered.

"I'll have you know that my parents were legally married long before I was born," Laguna shot back. "Now you know what it's like to have the foot on the other shoe!"

"Don't you mean – Ah, forget it," Kiros gave in, and threw his hands in the air in defeat.

* * *

_Author's Note: Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy. Yeah, I know, its fluff. There's a lot that needs to be established in this story, though, and it's just taking me a couple chapters to get there. Just hang in; I promise, there will be suspense, danger, mystery… and maybe even snogging!_


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A soft, frustrated sigh escaped Brenna's lips as she sat at her desk late one afternoon. She'd been at the presidential palace for all of a week now, and was starting to settle into the routine of the job. The small hospital wing was now organized the way that she wanted it, and she'd even had time to go over the particulars of a couple of the projects that she would be in charge of.

This particular afternoon, however, her mind was on anything but her work. Sitting on her desk was a rather large vase that contained a stunning arrangement of calla lilies. The bouquet had been delivered earlier that afternoon, and had shocked the doctor out of the possibility of getting any work done for the rest of the day. Attached to the arrangement had been a simple, sweet note:

_B— _

Yeah, I know I acted like a jerk. I hope, sometime, you'll let me explain.

-- L

"Why couldn't it have been roses?" she murmured to herself, lightly fingering a delicate petal. She could have resisted roses. But calla lilies? It was difficult to resist a man that could remember a silly comment made in passing in a very casual conversation.

He'd remembered that she loved calla lilies. How could she resist that?

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, cursing Laguna Loire and his calla lilies. How dare he be so sweet, thoughtful, and considerate?

"Uh, is this a bad time?"

Brenna whirled around to find Kylah Deraldi Leonhart standing in the doorway to her office. "Minister Deraldi!" she cried, flustered and embarrassed. "No, of course not," she continued. Her cheeks remained flushed as she gestured for the other woman to come in. "What can I do for you this afternoon?"

"Please," Kylah replied, smiling, "call me Kylah." She paused, glanced down at her stomach, and then grinned up at the doctor. "We have an appointment."

She could have shot herself for forgetting something even that basic. "Of course," she said, sighing. "Please, come in. I'm sorry, my mind was just on other things. I knew that I was expecting you this afternoon."

"No harm, no foul," was the easy-going reply. Kylah walked into the room, closed the door behind her, and took a seat in the office. "Oh, what a beautiful arrangement," she suddenly said, taking notice of the flowers. "Someone must really think a lot of you. Those are pretty hard to find in Esthar this time of year. They'd have had to go to a lot of trouble to find them."

Brenna's heart sank. Not only had he sent her favorite flowers, but he must have had to have called around quite a bit to find them. "I, ah, think someone was trying to apologize for something," she murmured as she turned to retrieve Kylah's file.

The redhead across the desk got the distinct impression that the doctor didn't want to discuss the flowers or their sender. And so, for the sake of Brenna's feelings, she changed subjects. "While I'm thinking about it," she spoke up, "I won't be handling the Fisherman's Horizon project any longer."

"Oh?" Brenna questioned, flipping the folder open. "Are you passing it along to Minister Seagill so that it's taken care of while you're on maternity leave in a few weeks?"

Kylah shook her head. "No, actually, President Loire requested that he take care of it. You'll be working with him on the project."

As Kylah spoke this sentence, Brenna was turned around away from the desk and shuffling around for a pad to take notes on as she went through Kylah's checkup. As soon as the words were out of the redhead's mouth, she spun around in shock, banging her knee on the desk in the process. "What?" she asked, weakly.

"I'm sorry, maybe I should have checked with you before I passed it along to him," Kylah replied, puzzled. "But he asked for the project and all…"

"No, no," Brenna responded. She sighed softly. "I just wasn't expecting to be working with the president at this time." After a moment, she forced a smile on her lips and looked up at Kylah. "But I'm sure I'll manage."

It was several moments before Kylah spoke again. "I know this is a bit of a personal question, but I really feel like I need to know the answer," she began. "Why do you hate Laguna as much as you seem like you do?"

"Hate is an awfully strong word," Brenna replied, dodging the question.

Kylah raised a brow. "Okay, then, why do you dislike him so much?"

Once again, she managed to side step the real issue. "I never said that I disliked him either. As far as I know, he's a very personable individual."

By this time, Kylah's diplomatic skills had kicked into high gear. "Then I shall rephrase my question once more," she responded, resting her hands casually on her belly. "Why is it that you put as much distance between yourself and him as you possibly can?"

Brenna knew that she's been cornered. "I—" she began, not exactly sure how to respond.

The younger woman's face softened. "I've said several times that we maintain a pretty informal and relaxed staff around here," she said gently, "and I meant it. Yes, I'm your boss. But, I'm friends with a lot of people that I employ. If you need someone to talk to, then I want you to know that you can talk to me. And," she added, "just forget that Laguna is my father-in-law. I love him dearly, but I know he's not perfect."

A shaky laugh escaped Brenna's lips. She then fell silent for a few moments as she debated whether or not to take Kylah into her confidence. "Okay," she finally relented. "But this is strictly between you and me."

Kylah nodded. "Of course," she replied and settled back more comfortably in her chair.

Brenna also nodded, then took a deep breath to bolster her courage. "President Loire went on a vacation to a ski resort in Trabia a few weeks ago, correct?"

"Yes he did," Kylah said, looking surprised. "How did you know that? Very few people even knew he was gone."

"Because I was there too," Brenna responded, her eyes meeting Kylah's.

You could have knocked Kylah over with a feather. "Oh?" was the best reply that she could manage around her surprise.

"Yes," Brenna nodded. "I met him on what was probably the first day that either one of us were there." She paused and shrugged. "We spent quite a bit of time together over the next couple of weeks. We skied, had dinner together nearly every night, and enjoyed the indoor pool together… It seemed to me like the two of us really hit it off. I very much enjoyed his company."

"But then something strange happened," she continued. "One night we were sitting and talking. That evening was the first night that I noticed that he had a wedding ring," she remembered. "I asked him about it, and he simply said that his wife had passed away some time ago." She paused. "After that, the night wasn't quite the same. We continued to talk for a while, and I even thought things might start to get a bit… serious. But he suddenly said that he couldn't do this, and ran off. I let him go, thinking that I would just find him and sort it out in the morning. But when morning came, I found that he had left the resort completely. I really didn't think I'd ever see him again."

Oh, Laguna… Kylah groaned inwardly. Her heart went out to both Brenna and Laguna. Brenna, because she had been so hurt by the situation. And Laguna because she had a feeling that she knew exactly why he had so abruptly fled.

"I was completely stunned to find him here when I arrived a week ago," Brenna went on. "He never mentioned being the president of Esthar. Of course," she added bitterly, "that did explain why he left so suddenly. I'm sure he has a backlog of women vying for his attention, if he was even telling the truth about his wife passing away. He surely didn't need me."

Kylah sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. What a mess... "I know Laguna and his schedule probably better than anyone," she finally responded. "And I can tell you that he pretty well lives the life of a monk. I think the last date Laguna Loire went on was probably about twenty-five years ago. You're the first woman," she added, gently, "that I've ever even heard of him paying any attention to."

Brenna remained silent as she digested this information. "This is all very… overwhelming," she said, softly. "I'm just not sure what to think or how to feel…"

"Take some time to figure it out," Kylah said, smiling. "In the meantime… would you mind if we get this checkup started? I need to get back to work…"

"Oh!" Brenna cried, reaching for the file again. "Yes, of course!"

The entire checkup took only a few minutes. Kylah headed out of the office a bit later with a glowing report and assurances that everything looked good and right on schedule. "Just a few more weeks, little one," she whispered excitedly as she stroked her belly. If she hadn't been crossing the reception area with her head down to speak to the bulge, she would have never noticed the magazine lying on the table. She looked somewhat startled to see Laguna's glossy face smiling up at her.

Kylah paused and picked up the magazine, giving it a frank appraisal. The author of the article within had blown many of the facts of Laguna's life completely out of proportion, but there was still quite a bit of truth in it. Enough truth, she imagined, to give Brenna a satisfactory explanation.

Decisively, she spun around on her heel and walked back into the doctor's office. Quietly, she slid the magazine across her desk, startling Brenna who looked up in surprise. "You may want to look over that," Kylah instructed. "I think you'll find it to be some fascinating reading."

* * *

Early that evening, Laguna was still seated in his office going over paperwork. Everyone else had already left for the day, which suited him fine. Maybe this way he could get some actual work done without Kiros and Ward constantly in his hair and on his back.

The problem that he was running into this time wasn't his best friends; it was his stomach. Despite his best attempts to ignore it, a growing gnawing deep in the pit of his gut was becoming increasingly overwhelming. When the gnawing grew to a full-fledged growl, he realized that there was no way that he was going to be able to ignore it any longer.

"Well, hell," he grumbled, turning away from his computer. Briefly, he wondered if he should take some time out to go and seek out some dinner. Instead, he elected to poke around in his desk for something that would at least take the edge off. "Aha!" he crowed victoriously as he unearthed a candy bar from the bottom drawer. He studied it for a moment, trying to remember how long it had been there. Finally, he shrugged and unwrapped it. Chocolate had a really long shelf-life, right?

"I certainly would not recommend that as a nutritious dinner," a soft voice spoke up.

Laguna swiveled around in his desk chair, surprised to hear the voice that had addressed him. Brenna stood quietly in the doorway to his office, a file folder clasped in both hands in front of her. The very sight of her nearly took his breath away. Though her eyes were cool and distant, they were a lovely shade of pale green. Her skin seemed to glow, and her hair was a soft blonde that shimmered in the light. She dressed conservatively in a pale pink turtleneck sweater and khaki slacks, and had pulled her hair up into a clip. A pair of gold wire-rimmed glasses rested on her nose.

A few weeks ago, he had seen what lay beneath the careful polish that she presented to the world. He'd seen her more relaxed and casual, had even seen her tousled and soaking wet in a bathing suit.

The very thought brought a goofy grin to his face.

He quickly glanced at the candy bar. "Ah… what?" he asked, confused.

She stepped over to his desk and nodded at the candy. "As your physician, I have to recommend that you find something more nutritious for dinner," she explained patiently.

It took him a moment to recover. Blankly, he gazed at the chocolate as if he didn't know how it had gotten in his hand. When he did manage to pull himself together, Laguna grinned sheepishly. "This wasn't going to be my dinner," he explained. "I just needed something to ward off hunger for a bit longer."

Brenna accepted his explanation and nodded as she glanced around. She looked distinctly uncomfortable standing in his office, as if she wanted to be anywhere else in the world. She bit her lip briefly and then looked out the window. "Minister Deraldi said that I would be working with you on the Fisherman's Horizon project from now on," she began politely. "And so, I brought you a few notes that I've put together. It's just some thoughts and ideas that I had on the hospital and what it should contain." She withdrew a sheaf of papers from the folder in her hand and held them out across the desk.

Laguna accepted them with a smile. "I was working on that very project when you came in," he said. "It'll be a big deal, and Mayor Dobe is really worked up about it."

"He should be excited," she replied as a warm glow began to creep into Brenna's cheeks as the conversation continued to focus on something she was both excited and passionate about. Even the speed of her words and tone of her voice picked up as she went on, "This hospital will mean many jobs and improved health care for Fisherman's Horizon. Not only that, but the medical technology that they'll have access to will make even the Galbadians jealous."

There was no immediate response from Laguna as he read over her notes. "These are some good ideas," he murmured, flipping through several of the pages he had been handed. He fell silent for another moment. "Were you thinking of putting the deep molecular scanner in the east wing?"

"No, no" she replied, circling around to the other side of the desk and leaning down next to the president. Her eyes quickly began scanning over a set of blueprints that were spread across his desk. As her mind became engrossed in the project that they were working on, she completely forgot who she was working with and their past. "I wanted to put it there, actually," she said as she pointed at one of the pieces of paper. "It would make more sense to put it closer to the lab. It will primarily be used for running tests, and so it would need to be somewhere that the results of those tests could be analyzed." As she finished that last sentence, she turned her head to face Laguna.

Laguna had actually become completely involved in what Brenna was saying to him. For once, his mind was completely focused on her ideas and thoughts instead of running a hundred miles per hour in a dozen different directions. When she turned to him, he was in the middle of turning to say something to her, as well.

They found themselves gazing at one another, their faces only inches apart.

For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped. Brenna could feel her heart skip several beats and then pick up pace. He, too, looked startled. She could feel a small catch in his breath, and caught a brief glimpse of conflict in his eyes as his mouth tried to say something.

The two jumped apart as if they had been burned. Brenna immediately retreated to the safety of the opposite side of the desk. Why did he have to have that irresistible boyish charm? And how on Earth were they ever going to work together?

"Yeah, uh, that's a great idea," Laguna began, shuffling papers around busily while trying to avoid eye contact. His cheeks and ears burned with an embarrassed flush.

A tongue flashed quickly over Brenna's lips as she worked up the courage to look back at him. She bit her lip and slipped a hand into the folder, this time coming out with something completely different. She had run through this moment a hundred times this afternoon with results ranging from him being fired to being thrown in jail for assassinating the president of Esthar. In the end, though, all she could do was say what she had wanted to.

"I want to ask you something," she said, softly, "and I want you to be honest. It has nothing to do with the project, but I need to know the answer."

Curious, Laguna turned to her and nodded. "Sure," he replied, cocking his head. "What's on your mind?"

Carefully, she laid the magazine that Kylah had given her out on the desk. Laguna cringed when he saw his own face looking back out at him. "How much of this article is true?" she asked.

He snorted. "I'm not sure. To be honest, I haven't read it," he admitted. "What little bit that I have heard about it sounds like a lot of it was overblown."

Brenna nodded and picked the magazine back up. She settled back in the chair across from Laguna, opened the magazine, and began to read. "'After diligently working hard to free the Estharian people from the tyrannical rule of the Sorceress Adel, President Loire campaigned hard for the presidential office with the intent of personally seeing that Adel would never terrorize the world again.'"

This time he outright laughed. "Yeah, that… I was elected because I wasn't paying attention, not because I campaigned or anything."

For a moment, she could only stare at him wide-eyed. Most presidents fought tooth and nail to make it into office, but he was elected while he wasn't even paying attention? "Okay," she murmured in disbelief. She shook her head to clear it and continued. "'President Loire single-handedly negotiated the historic peace treaty between Esthar and Galbadia, effectively ending hostilities that had gone on for decades.'"

Another laugh. "Kylah negotiated most of that treaty. Squall was nearly killed in the process of it being signed."

"'The president always appears in public looking stylish and fashionable, sure to catch the eye of nearly any female willing to take a look.'"

"I wish I could take credit for that," he said, ruefully, "but Kylah, Kiros, and Ellone pick out most of my clothes."

Brenna raised an eyebrow. "Either you're incredibly modest, or this author needs to recheck his facts." She paused. She'd been waiting until the end to ask what she had really come to question him about. Clearing her throat, she pressed on further in the article. "'Tragically, President Loire did not have the opportunity to get to know his son, Squall Leonhart, until Commander Leonhart was twenty-three. He did not even know that he had a son for the first seventeen years of the young man's life.'"

It was obvious to the doctor what flashed in Laguna's eyes as she read the article: Pain and regret. "Yeah, that part's true," he murmured, turning his chair around to face the window.

A brief twinge of guilt for even bringing it up flashed through Brenna, but she relentlessly pressed on. "'President Loire was unaware of his son's existence because his wife, Raine Leonhart, died while giving birth to their son. Because President Loire was in the process of securing the world's safety from the Sorceress Adel, he was unable to be in attendance.'"

Laguna's only reply was a brief, curt nod.

For a moment, Brenna hesitated to continue. She knew that she was getting to him, and some small voice in the back of her mind beckoned for her to stop. Instead of obeying, she tossed caution to the wind and pushed forward. "'Fate stepped into the situation, and the Loire/Leonhart family was separated. President Loire would not be aware of the cause of his wife's death – and their son's existence – for seventeen years, when he was reunited with his niece, Ellone, and his son at the end of the last Sorceress War during the Lunar Cry. Although the president rarely spe-"

"Stop," Laguna suddenly spoke up sharply with and commanding tone. Slowly, he turned his chair back around and sent Brenna a pleading look. "Please, stop," he added in a much softer tone, his throat dry from emotion. "This isn't something that I like to think about and remember."

She was quiet. "So, it's true," she said in a voice that was close to a whisper.

Silence hung heavy between them for several minutes as she studied his face and the emotions upon it. "I'm sorry," Brenna said sincerely. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Only in hindsight did she realize what she had truly done. He had hurt her and without realizing it, she had hurt him. But now, it was her turn to feel the same guilt he had. Her mind raced, wondering what else she could say to make up for the pain she had just subjected him to. If what the article said was true, he had been forced to endure more pain than a hundred good men would deal with in their entire lifetimes.

Laguna shrugged. "It's okay," he murmured, as if reading her mind. "Really."

"No, it's not. It was cruel and heartless, and I shouldn't have done it," she said gently. Gathering what strength she had left, she rose from her chair. Brenna circled the desk, stood beside him and turned his chair to face her. "Laguna," she said softly, using his first name for the first time since she'd arrived in Esthar. "Does this have anything to do with why you left Trabia so suddenly?" she asked, then held her breath, waiting for his answer.

He rested his chin in his palm and looked away, out the window. "Yeah," he admitted and then sighed heavily. "Brenna," he continued, then paused to search for the right words. "I'm being completely honest when I say that you're the first woman that I've even looked at in a very long time."

"I mean, I don't have a harem or a line of women throwing themselves at me," he said, then paused to reconsider that statement. "Well, I guess I do kind of have a long line of women waiting," he amended with a roll of his eyes, "but that doesn't mean that I'm going to give them the time of day."

Feeling a bit braver, he stood and looked her dead in the eyes. "For years, I figured that I'd spend the rest of my days alone. I'd had my shot, and I blew it. Raine died 'cause I wasn't there for her. So, I deserved what I got: A life alone. I mean, I have my family, don't get me wrong, but I figured that I should never love or be loved, again."

"And, I was okay with that life for a long time," he said with a shrug. Momentarily, he fell silent, his eyes staring almost right through her as he remembered the time they shared in Trabia. "And then I met this warm, caring, considerate, and sweet-hearted woman. And she was beautiful to boot," he added as he focused his eyes back on her.

He couldn't have stunned Brenna any more if he tried. She'd never thought herself beautiful or caring or any of the other things Laguna had just rattled off. She had to remind herself to breathe and that he was probably just trying to flatter her. But, somewhere deep down, the crazy thing was she could tell that he sincerely meant every word he spoke.

"And this wonderful, beautiful creature was paying attention to me. I could hardly believe it!" he went on. "Brenna, you have no idea how much I enjoyed the time we spent together in Trabia. It meant more to me than you'll ever know."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know, for the first time in more years than I'd care to mention, I forgot to punish myself. I forgot about brooding and thinking day and night about the past and what all had gone wrong. For the first time, I felt like I had something to look forward to."

"You mentioned my wedding band that night," he said as he looked back into her eyes, "And, well, it reminded me. All at once, I felt all that guilt and anger I had forgotten about for my vacation. So, I felt guilty, and ran away to the only thing I've really known for a quarter century."

He shook his head. "But, something changed that weekend. When I came back and I was brooding, cranky, and miserable. I guess I finally realized that the old ways weren't what I wanted, anymore."

"Everyone let me fume for a few days. Then, of all people, Squall pulled me aside and planted foot to ass." He turned and smiled ruefully. "He told me the same thing I told him a few years ago: I couldn't spend the rest of my life punishing myself for what I might or might not have been able to do. He made me realize that nobody would want me to be miserable forever. Least of all Raine."

Slowly, Brenna nodded. She remained silent for several more moments, giving everything he'd said a chance to absorb. "You know…" she finally began, "I wish you had told me all of this from the start. I could have handled things a lot better and I wouldn't have thrown you out of my apartment when I first arrived. Or said or thought such horrible things about you just now."

He grinned. "I can forgive you for just about anything you could name off, if you can do one thing: Forgive me for acting like such an idiot?"

She failed miserably at fighting against the smile that threatened to bloom over her lips. "You're forgiven," she relented, gently placing a hand on his arm.

Laguna's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thanks," he replied as he ran his hand back through his hair and scratched the back of his neck. "You've got no idea how much I appreciate that."

Another awkward silence passed between them, though this one much easier than the last.

Briefly, Laguna glanced around. "So, uh, where does that leave us?"

"I—" Brenna hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure."

"I think..." Laguna began very cautiously, " I would like to know where things might have gone if I hadn't been such an ass. I meant it when I said that I enjoyed the time we spent together. Do you think… maybe….?" he said with a half-pleading look.

She bit her lip and looked out over the city of Esthar for a very long moment, not daring to look into his eyes until she knew the answer herself. "I can't say that the idea doesn't appeal to me," she finally said, looking back at him. "But," she added quickly, "let's start slowly and see where we end up. And," she added, "if ever you feel uncomfortable, then please tell me. Just promise me one thing," she said holding up a single finger.

"Anything," Laguna replied, grinning in spite of himself.

"Don't ever run out like that again. I do know where you live, after all," she requested with an arched eyebrow.

Smiling broadly, Laguna opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly silenced by a ferocious growl from his stomach. "Er, well, how about we start with a simple dinner?" he said hopefully

"Dinner?" she mused as she placed a hand on her own stomach. "I haven't eaten yet," she admitted. "And I did tell you that you need something more substantial than a candy bar. And, all I have are some breath mints," she said with a smile

"Then let's go," he said, taking her by the elbow. "I know this great place downtown that serves the absolute best quesadillas…"


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"You said that you became president because you weren't paying attention. Why did you stick with it?"

Laguna and Brenna sat across from each other at a table in a small restaurant in downtown Esthar. All around them conversations buzzed, creating a soft hum in the background of their world. As far as they were aware, they were the only two people in the world.

After taking a moment to swallow the bite he was chewing, Laguna responded. "I stuck with it because I found that I actually kinda liked it. The Estharian people needed help getting things re-established after Adel's fall, and they asked me to do it. With Raine and Ellone both gone, I didn't have anything holding me in Galbadia anymore, so I gave it a shot." He chuckled briefly. "I guess I'm good at it, or at least Kiros and Ward have made me look good for a long time. The people keep asking me to stay, and I enjoy taking care of them."

Brenna shook her head and took a small bite of her salad. "You just don't seem like the presidential type," she observed. "You're so laid-back and easygoing…"

"Kylah says that I'm only scary and presidential when I need to be, which is why people like and respect me so much." He shrugged. "I dunno if she's right about that or not, but she is right about me being 'presidential' when I need to be. But _only_ when I absolutely have to."

"From what I've heard, the definition of 'being presidential' includes moments that you have to wear a suit," Brenna replied, grinning as she took a sip of water.

He made a face. "I have never understood how those stupid things are supposed to make me look more 'presidential,'" he complained.

"I suppose that the suit is meant to make you look more handsome, strong, and imposing."

Laguna eyed her speculatively for a moment. "Does it?"

Immediately Brenna's mind raced back to her first day in Esthar, and the sight of Laguna as he'd walked into his office straight from an official appearance. "Ahhh…" she said, heat flushing her cheeks as she dropped her gaze to her meal. Yes, the suit had certainly filled the objectives it was meant to.

Laguna, too, blushed brightly. "The suit is much better than the official Estharian robes that I have to wear occasionally," he piped up to try and change the subject. "They're long and kinda flowy and girly looking. Kiros and Ward say that they aren't so bad, though, because they let air get to your—" Laguna suddenly broke off, his eyes widening as he realized what he had been about to say. "Uh, I mean…" he stuttered.

Brenna nearly choked on the mouthful of water she was trying to swallow. She coughed several times, and Laguna looked desperately around and wondered if he should help her somehow. It took him a minute to realize that she was fighting hard not to laugh and the coughing was merely a cover-up.

"I will never," she finally managed to sputter, "be able to look at someone dressed in traditional Estharian robes the same way again."

When he realized that he hadn't embarrassed himself or Brenna, Laguna visibly relaxed and laughed along with her. "Yeah, well, now you know why I don't wear the things," he finally said.

The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence for a moment, taking time to focus on their meals. "Do you ever come under fire for having Kylah on your personal staff?" Brenna finally asked.

"Huh?" Laguna asked, confused. "Why would I come under fire for that?"

"She's your Minister of Foreign Relations – among other things – and she's also your daughter-in-law," she replied. "No one has accused you of nepotism?"

"Oh that!" he said, nodding. "No, I haven't. There was an easy way around that: Kylah has worked for me for two years, and she's only been married to Squall for a year. In a weird sort of way, I came along before he did. Kinda. Sorta."

Brenna looked confused. "But Cassidy…?"

"…Isn't Kylah's biological daughter," Laguna replied. "She loves Cass as if she'd given birth to her, and she's the only mother that Cass has ever known. But Cass' biological mother died when she was a baby. Kylah has only been in her life for the last couple of years."

"So, your son was married once before?" she asked, trying to put things together in her mind.

"Yep," he replied. "I didn't really know her that well – only met her a couple times. He was pretty broken up over it when she died, but it looks like things have turned out okay for him."

"I've only met him once in passing, and he didn't exactly seem like the most cheerful individual," Brenna ventured.

"Squall?" Laguna said, grinning. He shoved a mouthful of quesadilla into his mouth. "He's as loveable as a cactuar sometimes. Kylah got mad at him once a few months ago and told him he has two moods: neutral and bad. That's a slight exaggeration," he said, dryly. "He's just not as expressive with his emotions as Kylah and I tend to be."

"I don't know too many people who are," she replied, amusement falling over her face. "I never have any doubts what's going through your mind."

"Really? Then what am I feeling right now?" Laguna challenged her.

Carefully, Brenna considered him for several moments. "You're feeling very relaxed, happy, and stress-free. And for the first time in several weeks, you're acting very much like the care-free, happy man I met in Trabia."

He fell silent for several moments, a slow smile lighting up his face. "I feel pretty relaxed and happy right now," he admitted. He slid his hand carefully across the table and took hold of hers. "And I'm very much enjoying your company."

Though she flushed once more, Brenna couldn't hide her smile. "I'm enjoying myself, too," she murmured, lacing her fingers through his.

"Mr. President," a voice spoke up at Laguna's elbow. He looked up to see the server standing at his elbow. He was dressed in full Estharian garb. "We'd like to give you and your companion this bottle of champagne, on the house," he said pleasantly.

Out of the corner of his eye Laguna caught Brenna biting her lip. Her face was flushing as she struggled valiantly not to laugh. "Thanks!" Laguna managed to reply, graciously accepting the bottle. "We really appreciate it."

"Enjoy the rest of your dinner," the waiter said, bowed, and walked off.

Both Laguna and Brenna watched his retreating back, flowing robes and all. When he was finally a safe distance away, they dared to glance at one another. They grinned and snickered for several moments before they both burst out into laughter.

* * *

"I had a nice time tonight," Brenna said as Laguna walked her to her apartment door. 

"I did too," he replied, stopping in the corridor just outside of her apartment. He leaned against her doorframe and grinned at her. "We should do it again sometime. Soon." _Very soon…_

A smile bloomed on her lips. "Yes, we should," she replied softly. "I, ah, never did thank you for the beautiful flowers that you sent me today. They were lovely."

"You're welcome," he said, brushing an escaped strand of hair away from her forehead. "I'm glad you enjoyed them so much." The two of them stood in silence for a moment, neither one willing to end the evening. Finally, Laguna glanced at his watch and sighed reluctantly. "It's late, and I'm sure you'll be wanting to get some sleep," he said. "I should let you go."

"And I'm sure you have an early morning full of paperwork ahead of you," she responded, and chuckled at his scowl. Impulsively, Brenna leaned forward, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Good night, Laguna," she murmured. She smiled up at him as she unlocked her door, and quietly disappeared inside.

Laguna remained in the hallway for several moments more, staring at her door with a goofy grin on his face and a hand pressed to the cheek she'd kissed. "Nope, you haven't lost it," he finally murmured to himself. Then, still grinning broadly, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and sauntered down the hallway toward his own apartment, a spring in his step and a whistle on his lips.

* * *

It was early the next morning that Kiros and Ward entered Laguna's office and found that he had already arrived. That in and of itself was a surprise, as they were usually hard at work long before Laguna started his day. Even more surprising, he was busily tackling the mountain of paperwork he had allowed to accumulate on the corner of his desk. 

To top it all off he was singing. Badly.

"You're in an awfully good mood this morning," Kiros observed.

Laguna stopped mid-verse and glanced over at his two friends. "And why not?" he asked. "It's a beautiful day outside."

Ward glanced out the window. It was grey, miserably cold, and pouring rain. He and Kiros raised a brow at each other and then turned their gazes back to Laguna. "So," Kiros asked casually, "what did you do last night?"

"Nothing much," Laguna shrugged. "I had dinner, then went home and relaxed the rest of the evening."

"…"

"Ward wants to know if you enjoyed your dinner."

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I had some really awesome quesadillas."

The two men looked at each other once more and rolled their eyes. "It sure looked like you were enjoying yourself," Kiros said dryly. He pulled a newspaper out from under his arm, unrolled it, and slapped it on Laguna's desk. On the cover was a rather large picture of Laguna and Brenna seated cozily at the restaurant the night before, and a bold headline that read "Estharian President Romancing Galbadian Socialite."

"Well, hell," Laguna muttered. "I can't even take a dump in this town without someone reporting it to the press."

"Nah," a voice spoke up from the door. Kylah entered the room with a smug grin playing on her lips. "There _are_ some things that you do that even the press doesn't want to know about."

Laguna waved her off as he read over the article. "This is blown completely out of proportion," he muttered. Irritated, he smacked the paper with the back of his hand. "They make it sound like I threw her on the table and had my way with her in the middle of the restaurant!"

Kiros, Ward, and Kylah exchanged amused looks. "Did you?" Kiros asked.

"No!" he replied indignantly. "Of course not! We had dinner, I took her home, dropped her at her front door, and then went home myself. End of story."

"Ward and I are willing to forgive the fact that you didn't tell your best friends that you were going on your first date in twenty-five years," Kiros said, leaning against the desk, "but, man, will you _please_ just tell us what the heck has been going on?"

"…"

"He's right; it does look a little stupid for your top aides to have to say, 'I have no clue what's going on,'" if someone asks.

"It's not like it's anyone else's business, anyway," Laguna muttered. He sighed. "Alright, here's what's happened…" After taking a deep breath, he launched into a long, detailed description of what all had transpired between he and Brenna, starting with their vacation in Trabia leading up to the dinner date the night before.

"Awww…" Kylah cooed when he was finished. "That's so sweet!"

"Yeah, yeah," Laguna muttered, blushing.

"She seems like a nice lady," Kiros observed, grinning. It was good to see Laguna so obviously happy. "I like her."

"…"

"Ward says don't do something stupid and screw it up."

"Don't you people have anything better to do than to sit around and talk about my love life? I mean, you do have jobs you know…" Laguna grumbled good-naturedly.

"It's just that we haven't been able to talk about that subject in so long," Kiros retorted.

"It's a novelty," Kylah added, grinning.

"All of you, out! Lemme get some work done for Hyne's sake!"

"Fine, fine," Kiros replied. All three of them turned toward the door, smirking amongst themselves. "You'd think we were here to work or something."

The chuckling trio stopped in the corridor outside of Laguna's office once the door had slid closed. "What do you think?" Kiros asked, once they were out of Laguna's earshot.

"…"

"Yeah, he does seem to like her a lot. And her background is clear. We checked that when we hired her."

"I think she and Laguna would be good for each other," Kylah murmured, thoughtfully. She fell silent for several moments. "I wonder how Brenna is taking this entire deal with the newspaper." She pushed herself away from the wall she was leaning against. "I think I'm going to head over to the hospital wing for a bit," she said, grinning slyly at Kiros and Ward as she disappeared down the hall.

"I almost feel sorry for Brenna," Kiros observed. "Kylah has the uncanny ability to wrangle information out of even the most unwilling victim."

"…"

"True. She isn't above torture, is she?"

* * *

The day had started off rather oddly. Since she'd come in that morning, she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was buzzing around the hospital wing, though what she had no idea. At first she thought she was just imagining things. But then she could swear that she heard two of the nurses whispering as she passed by, and three times now an entire room had gone silent as soon as she entered. Twice she thought she'd heard giggling as she approached. 

"What is going on?" she murmured to herself, glancing sharply to the side as another round of giggling erupted. Two nurses gathered in the corridor abruptly jumped and scurried away, whispering furiously amongst themselves.

"Having a bad day?"

Brenna jumped at the sudden voice and whirled around, surprised to find an amused Kylah behind her. "Kylah!" she cried. Briefly, she glanced at the clipboard in her hand. "I just saw you yesterday, so I know we don't have an appointment," she said. "What are you doing down here?"

"Ah…" Kylah began. "Can we talk in your office for a minute?" she asked, nodding at the door.

Nerves clenched in Brenna's stomach. "Sure," she replied, curiously. A thousand reasons that Kylah might want to speak with her began tumbling in her mind as they approached the office. They stepped inside and closed the door behind them.

"I'd rather sit here, if you don't mind," Kylah said, pointing to two overstuffed armchairs, one with a footstool. She glanced down at her swollen feet. "It'd be a little more… comfortable…"

Despite the nerves, Brenna smiled. "Only six more weeks," she reminded her.

"And I can't wait," Kylah sighed, settling down into a chair. She waited for Brenna to settle in too before she launched into her discussion. "So, how has everything been in the hospital wing today?"

"Well… to be honest," Brenna hesitated. "It's been a little strange. I feel like everyone is staring at me and whispering as I pass by. It's very odd."

The redhead chuckled softly and unrolled the newspaper in her hand. "I think I might be able to explain that," she said, and passed her the same newspaper that Kiros had shown Laguna earlier.

When Brenna caught sight of the picture and headline, the color drained from her face. "Oh, my," she murmured. Kylah remained silent as Brenna flipped the newspaper open and read the article printed on the first page. Her eyebrows raised with every sentence that she read. "Well, apparently I was either very drunk last night, or my twin sister was in my place?"

"Oh?" Kylah asked, confused.

"I remember having a nice, pleasant dinner and then being walked home by a considerate gentleman. It was a perfectly pleasant evening. But, according to this…" she trailed off.

"The press rarely gets anything right," Kylah snickered. "Don't take it personally."

"Has Laguna seen this?" Brenna asked.

"Yes, he has. He was offended by the implications in the article, and slightly surprised that news traveled this fast, but I don't think he was entirely surprised." She shrugged. "I guess he's kinda used to his every move making the front page of the newspaper."

"Hmmm…" Brenna replied. "This isn't even close to the way it happened."

Kylah smiled sympathetically. "I think Laguna's exact response was 'I can't even take a dump in this town without someone reporting it to the press.'"

She bit her lip hard, but Brenna couldn't manage to completely suppress a laugh.

"When I saw the article this morning, though," Kylah continued, "I thought I might ought to talk to you about the situation."

"What about it?" Brenna asked, cautiously.

Kylah's expression grew serious. "Before I go any further, I want you to understand that I'm not saying this to you to scare you away or turn you off to the idea of seeing Laguna. I just don't think that it's fair to you to be blindsided by things like this," she gestured to the newspaper, "when and if they happen."

"Okay, that's fair." The newspaper was set aside and Brenna gave the redhead her full attention.

"Unfortunately, because of his position, there's a lot of, well, baggage that comes with being involved with Laguna. You'll have to deal with a lot. For starters," she said dryly as she glanced at the paper again, "the press nosing into your privacy."

"Apparently I've had my introduction to that."

"There's more than that, though," Kylah continued. She hesitated. "I've been with the presidential staff for two years. I'm his Minister of Foreign Relations, but I'm also involved quite a bit with his security." Again, she paused. "In the last two years, I've seen four death threats come through the presidential office, and one attempt on Laguna's life." This information made Brenna grow still and her eyes wide. "Most people like Laguna, but not everyone. There are a lot of people who think that their lives would be easier if he wasn't there anymore."

Slowly, Brenna nodded. "So, press, death threats, and assassination attempts," she said, though a bit weakly.

Kylah nodded. "There's also the possibility that someone might try and do something to you in order to hurt Laguna," she added, gently. She gave that a moment to absorb. "And, besides all that, you're going to have some people… Okay, some _women_, say some pretty nasty things about you. Laguna is a good-looking guy, and there have been many women vying for his attention for a long time. A lot of people aren't going to be pleased that he wants to be with you."

"This is sounding less and less like a pleasant experience," Brenna remarked, chuckling.

"Like I said, I don't want to scare you off because of it. I just wanted to make sure you knew up front the reality of the situation. And," she added, softly, "I want you to know that I think you can handle it. From what I've seen, you're a pretty strong woman. Laguna needs a strong woman, and I think you can handle it. But, when it does get tough – and it will – just know that I know how difficult it is, and I'm here to talk to and vent to if you need."

Brenna was truly touched. "Thank you, Kylah," she murmured. She paused for a moment to mull over all that had been said. "I haven't known him long," she said, "but I will admit that I'm very attracted to Laguna. I'm not willing to step away or let this go easily. Last night he said that he wanted a chance to see where this might go, and I want the same thing." She looked Kylah in the eye. "And so, hell or high water, I'm going to stick this out and see where it leads."

* * *

_Author's Note: I just wanted to thank all of my loyal readers for your reviews! It's the reviews and comments that keep me going and keep me writing. It really makes the effort worth it. So, thanks guys!_


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"So what are you doing?"

Brenna smiled as she cradled the phone between her shoulder and chin as the warm, familiar voice flooded into her ear. "I'm working," she replied, reaching for a chart on the edge of her desk. "What are you doing?"

"I'm supposed to be doing the same," Laguna replied, "but I kinda lost momentum on the paperwork…"

"So, you're taking a break?"

"I was actually thinking about trying to sneak away early," he hedged.

"Lemme guess: but you're not sure if it's worth it to have to face Kylah and Kiros later?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted. She could hear the grin in his voice. "There is that." He paused and cleared his throat. "So, do you have any plans later?"

"Nothing that I can think of," she replied, smiling. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a movie," he said. "If you're not up to being put under the microscope of the Estharian press, I thought maybe we could order in and watch something on the big screen in my apartment."

She toyed with a pen on her desk for a minute and considered the possibility. On one hand, she would really enjoy an evening alone with Laguna. On the other hand, she'd be alone with Laguna… In his apartment… "That does sound like fun…" she admitted, possibilities running through her mind. "Alright, I'm game," she replied, smiling.

"Come by at seven," he replied, excitement touching his voice. "I can't wait."

"Me too," she replied, softly. She was still smiling as she hung up the phone, and hummed her way through the rest of her work day.

* * *

"I'm still not exactly sure how I got talked into this," Laguna grumbled good-naturedly as he read over the back of the video disc case.

Brenna was seated comfortably on his couch with a large bowl of popcorn on her lap. "I've heard very good things about that movie," she replied defensively as she popped a piece of the popcorn into her mouth primly.

"It's a chick-flick!" he protested.

"You said I could choose," she pointed out, struggling against a grin.

"Fine, fine," he said as he popped the disc into the player. "But the next time we watch a movie, you owe me a guy movie with lots of explosions and stuff."

She pretended to inspect a piece of popcorn that she'd retrieved from the bowl. "I saw a very interesting-looking one a couple of days ago," she said conversationally. "It was an older movie called _The Sorceress and the Knight_."

Laguna groaned as the disc started up and he flopped next to her on the couch. "You're cruel. I hope you know that. I only did that movie because I was desperate for cash."

Brenna looked him over speculatively. "How desperate were you?" she asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Not _that_ desperate," he replied, shooting her a withering look. "It was a family-friendly movie… mostly. Other than the fighting…. And guns… And dying dragon…"

She chuckled softly as the opening credits of the movie began to roll. At once, an uneasy silence fell over her and she glanced at Laguna out of the corner of her eye. When they had conversation going, she was fairly sure of what she should do. But now, sitting next to him on the couch, she suddenly found herself unsure herself. He was seated comfortably, one arm draped over the back of the couch. Should she move the bowl from between them and slide closer? Or was her current position acceptable?

For several moments she pretended to watch the film as she debated the implications of scooting over next to him. Finally, she carefully moved the bowl to her lap and slid over on the couch so that she was scooted up against him, tucked under his arm.

Laguna glanced over in surprise. He had been surprisingly engrossed in the movie and her sudden appearance at his side caught him off-guard. A grin spread over his lips, however, and he slipped his arm off of the back of the couch and dropped it around her shoulders. He gently squeezed her close, smiled at her, and then turned back to the movie.

A warm feeling of contentment began to creep up within Brenna. She smiled, and leaned her head over to rest on his shoulder. Tucking her feet up on the couch next to her, she settled down to enjoy the movie.

"That would have been better," Laguna said two hours later, "if during the dinner scene, there had been a hold up, and he took down six terrorists single-handedly, and _then _swept her into his arms and kissed her."

Brenna paused and stared at him. "Surely you're kidding," she said.

"No, I'm serious!" he said. "Think about it: the terrorists suddenly burst in and tell everyone not to move. And that's when we find out that he's not really a lawyer, but a secret government agent!"

"You're impossible," Brenna laughed. She stood and stretched, then bent down to retrieve her glass from the floor in front of the couch. She had long since drained the water from it, leaving only ice cubes in the bottom.

"Aww, come on!" he continued. "It would have been an awesome addition to the movie! Think about the gunplay and the explosions they could have set off, and—"

As he rambled on, Brenna had stepped around the end of the couch as if she was going to head in to return her glass to the kitchen. Just as she passed by Laguna, she reached a hand out, jerked the back of Laguna's shirt open, and dumped the remaining ice cubes down his back.

"Ah!" Laguna yelped. His hand flew out and grasped her by the wrist. "You'll pay for that!" he cried, and then pulled her over the arm of the couch. She landed across his lap, laughing as he pinned her against the back of the couch. "Seriously, you will pay," he growled with mock-ferocity.

Gradually, Brenna's laughter faded. She found herself draped across his lap, his face only inches from hers. They were both slightly breathless from laughter, eyes locked. She bit her lower lip and glanced briefly at his before raising her gaze back to his green eyes. He paused briefly, searching her eyes for even the slightest bit of hesitation that would have immediately made him pull back. When he found none, he slowly took a deep breath, leaned closer and caught her lips with his own.

It wasn't a jolt, a spark, or a flash. Instead, a warm sensation began to spread through Laguna, beginning deep within and gradually spreading throughout his body until even the outermost extremities were warm and… content. Both he and Brenna were shy and hesitant at first, testing one another and each one searching to ensure that they had not overstepped their bounds. It took only moments for them both to realize that the other was responding – and enthusiastically, and so the kiss deepened and lingered, until they both were left breathless.

When Laguna finally forced himself to come up for air, he gazed hesitantly at Brenna. "Was that… alright?" he asked.

A thoughtful look fell over her face. She licked her lips carefully as if considering his question. "I'm not sure," she finally replied.

_Uh-oh…_ Laguna thought. _Now I've done it._ "You're not?"

She shook her head. "No," she said, gravely. "A scientist or physician never makes an assessment based on just one experience. I'm afraid that I'd have to experience that at least once more before I could make a fair assessment."

He had to look close, but he could see the carefully hidden twinkle in her eye. A slow grin spread over his face. "Another test? Well, then, doctor, let's see what we can do…" Once again, he pressed his lips to hers, this time sliding his arms around her and pulling her tight against him. "How about now?" he asked when they came up for air.

Again, Brenna appeared to think it over. "I'm sorry, I just don't have an answer yet. I'd recommend more testing. I think we should repeat the experiment. Often. And under many different types of circumstances."

Laguna nodded with mock-seriousness. "Well, Dr. Cormac, if you think that it's necessary, then I'm willing to make this enormous sacrifice for the sake of science."

Laughing, she kissed him gently. "I thought you might be."

* * *

"So, what are you doing Saturday night?"

Brenna looked up from her paperwork to find both Kylah and Ellone standing in her office. She glanced at the clock and then back at them with a quizzical expression. What on Earth were they doing in her office in the middle of the day? "I hadn't thought that far ahead," she said, carefully. "Why do you ask?"

The two women grinned at each other and then at her. "We have a suggestion," Ellone said, coyly.

Slowly, Brenna placed her pen on her desk and set her papers beside it. "And that would be?"

Kylah rested a hip on the edge of her desk. "Laguna's birthday is Saturday," she said with a smile bright enough to light up Esthar for a year. "We've been planning a party for him for that night, and since you seem to be the cause of the permanent grin on his face these days," she teased, "we thought you should be there."

"A party?" she asked, hesitation in her voice. She had a vision of cocktail dresses, tuxedos, and boring conversation with dull diplomats and world leaders.

"A party," Ellone nodded. "A very small, intimate one."

"This is the one time of the year that we let Laguna off the hook," Kylah added. "No suits, fancy dresses, or stuffy politicians. We've rented out a restaurant and bar downtown that he absolutely loves, and have invited people that he actually enjoys hanging out with. Only friends and family."

"That doesn't sound bad at all," Brenna said, giving it careful thought. Still… "In fact, it sounds rather nice. So, why are the two of you sitting there grinning at me like two cats that have found a dish of cream?"

"Because," Ellone explained, "it's a surprise party."

"And," Kylah hedged, "we… kinda… sorta need an excuse to get him there."

"And so the truth comes out," Brenna laughed. She leaned back in her chair and thought for a moment. "I'll tell you what," she continued, pulling out a piece of paper, "tell me the name of the restaurant and name the time, and leave the rest to me."

* * *

_Author's Note: More fluffy goodness! Yeah, I know, this one is full of it. I'm almost done setting up the preliminary stuff, though. The next chapter should finish the set-up, and then onto the deep, dark, action-packed, suspense-filled rest of the story._

_To answer a question that many have asked, yes, there was some foreshadowing in the last chapter, though it may not necessarily be what you think. Actually, there has been a touch of foreshadow in several of the sections that I've written. You just have to look for it._

_And, for all of those who have requested it: There WILL be more Squall/Kylah coming up! I promise. I needed to get Laguna and Brenna's relationship established in the beginning of the story in order for the bigger storyline later on to have more of an impact. ALL of them will be very deeply involved in the next part. And, who haven't we seen yet? C'mon! Do you think I'd leave the rest of the Balamb Gang out of things? _


	10. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: I'm sorry updates are taking longer and longer. I haven't lost interest by any stretch of the imagination. I've just been trying to squeeze in writing here and there between long shifts at work and school work. I wish I could just write it out and finish it, because I'm so excited about the story and where it's going. But, such is life._

_Now, about the suggestion that someone made about a trilogy…_

_I had actually been contemplating that same thing. The fact of the matter is, there is still one member of the Loire/Leonhart family that hasn't yet been dealt with, and I felt that it was only fair that her story be finished as well. And so, I've begun laying down the groundwork for an Ellone-centric third part once this is finished. _

_But let's not get ahead of ourselves! I still have a lot of ground to cover in this story, and moments that I'm GREATLY looking forward to writing. I did find that I'll need ONE more chapter to finish out the fluff so that I can have everything set up that I need before I move on to the juicy stuff. Enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter 9

"Sneaky idea, having them come in on the train rather than sending Ragnarok after them," Squall said as he and Kylah stood together on the platform.

She glanced up at him and grinned. "There was absolutely no way that we could get the Ragnarok out and then back in without Laguna noticing and asking what was up," she pointed out. "And so, the most logical way to get here was to take the train."

Squall chuckled softly. "Selphie will be happy, but I'm not sure how much the rest of them will enjoy this trip."

"Oh?" Kylah asked raising a brow.

"Have you ever heard her train song?"

She paused and gazed at him questioningly. "I've been spared that pleasure," she finally responded.

"You're one of the lucky ones, then," he responded, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

The train chose that moment to pull up to the platform, and Kylah and Squall both focused their attention on scanning the passengers for their friends. They heard them before they saw them.

"Selphie, I swear, if you sing that damn song one more time…"

"Awww, come on Quisty! I have to entertain myself somehow!"

Irvine's tall head could be seen over the crowd. "But do you have to entertain yourself at our expense?"

Selphie emerged from the crowd just as she shot Irvine a scathing look. "Fine! See if I _entertain_ you anytime soon!"

"Damn…" Irvine lamented, hanging his head in defeat.

"Shot down!" Zell laughed, thumping Irvine on the shoulder.

Kylah chuckled and shook her head. "It's good to know that some things never change."

The sound of her voice had drawn everyone's attention. "Kylah!" Selphie squealed. She ran at her friend, throwing her arms around the redhead in a ferocious hug. "Ohhh, you're such a cute pregnant woman!" she gushed as she stepped back to inspect her.

"You do look wonderful," Quistis added, stepping forward to offer a hug of her own. "You're due soon, aren't you?"

Pressing a hand to her lower back, Kylah groaned. "Just over four weeks, and not a moment too soon," she said.

Zell and Irvine, meanwhile, had commenced on exchanging manly thumps on the shoulder, handshakes, and congratulatory nudges about Kylah's condition in way of greeting Squall. Once their greetings were finished, the guys had launched into an in-depth discussion about the very issue of _Weapon's Monthly_ that Squall had read only weeks before.

"I tried those gloves," Zell said, "and they were nice. The damage that they do is just phenomenal. I dunno, though… I just prefer my old, comfortable, broken-in gloves instead."

Kylah watched her husband talking animatedly with his friends. "That didn't take long," she said, grinning at Quistis who laughed in response. "It's okay, though," she continued. "I think that nearly nine months of living with a pregnant woman has him in need of some male bonding time."

"I don't think he'd trade the pregnant woman for the guys, though," a pleasant voice spoke up behind them.

The three women turned to find Cid and Edea Kramer standing behind them. It was Edea who had addressed them, and she now smiled warmly at Kylah. "Quistis is right," she continued, leaning in to give the younger woman a warm hug. "You do look wonderful."

"I'd agree with that," Squall spoke up, resting a hand on his wife's shoulder. He leaned in and hugged Edea himself. "Hello, Matron."

"Hello, Squall," she replied, smiling softly. As she stepped back, she looked around. "Didn't Ellone and Cassidy come with you?"

Kylah shook her head in answer. "Ellone is over at the restaurant ironing out the last-minute details for the party, and Cassidy hasn't gotten out of school for the day, yet."

A small smile touched Squall's lips. "It took everything we could think of to talk her into going to school at all today," he said, rolling his eyes. "Especially once she heard that Matron and Cid were coming."

Zell raised an eyebrow. "I'm hurt!" he said. "She didn't want to see her boyfriend?"

"You've fallen from grace because she realized that you already had a girlfriend," Squall retorted.

The blonde made a face. "Well, I'm all hers now," he sighed.

"You are?" Squall asked, eyeing Zell quizzically. He knew it was irrational, and nothing would ever come of it, but he had a difficult time repressing that fatherly urge to protect his daughter from men and romance even if she was only five, and it was simply a childhood crush.

"Yep," Zell nodded glumly.

"Things didn't exactly work out between him and the librarian," Selphie interjected.

"Aw, Zell, that stinks," Kylah replied, feeling genuinely sad for him.

He waved away the concern. "Bah, I broke up with her. I just kinda realized that I didn't want to continue it. The right woman is out there somewhere for me," he grinned, "but it wasn't her."

"Speaking of romance…" Irvine segued as he shot Kylah and Squall both a sly grin.

"Yes, speaking of," Quistis added as she linked arms with Kylah.

Selphie slid her arm through Kylah's free one. "Tell us about the new lady that Sir Laguna is seeing," she finished up with a devilish grin.

"I see you've been reading the papers." Kylah rolled her eyes.

"Papers, yes," Quistis replied.

"And TV."

"Radio."

"Don't forget the internet!"

Squall groaned and shook his head. "Can't they just let the poor guy have a personal life?" he grumbled.

Kylah and Quistis exchanged triumphant grins. Two years ago, Squall couldn't have cared less what anyone said about or did to Laguna. Though he still held his father at a distance, his protective statement was at least progress.

"You can't believe what you hear or read from the press," Kylah said, having read many of the articles herself. "She isn't a gold-digger, hussy, or Galbadian spy. She's a perfectly normal woman, a fantastic physician, and she genuinely cares for Laguna."

"That's good to hear," Edea piped up. "Laguna deserves some happiness for once."

"I think its soooooooo sweet!" Selphie cooed.

"Yeah, well, you'll get to meet her for yourself tonight," Squall said.

"Yep, he's right," Kylah added. "Brenna is our excuse for getting him there. She's using the premise of wanting to take him out for dinner for his birthday."

"So he's clueless?" Quistis asked.

"Completely."

"Eeeeeeeexcellent," Selphie cackled, rubbing her hands together evilly.

* * *

Self-consciously, Brenna tugged at the hem of her shirt. It was outrageous. Simply outrageous. And she had no idea how Kylah and Ellone had talked her into it. The hip-hugging jeans weren't bad at all. In fact, she rather liked how they fit against her slim hips. But when paired with the high, black boots, it did start to delve into fashion territory that she had never even thought to explore.

But it was the top that really got her. It was a deep emerald, lacy top that overlayed a solid camisole of the same color. The blouse was fitted to her smooth curves, and plunged so low in the front that it nearly made her blush. She glanced down suspiciously. She'd never had this much cleavage before in her life. It truly was a miracle bra.

She'd even carefully followed Kylah's hair and makeup tips. Her blonde hair fell in waves around her slim shoulders, and a touch of green could be seen around her eyes. Her lips were painted a deep red.

What on Earth was she doing?

Briefly, she glanced at her closet and then back down at her outfit. She had to admit, it did look good on her. She just wasn't sure if she was bold enough to pull it off. Maybe she had enough time to change into something a little more… her before the party began…

The sound of a knock at the door dashed all hopes of making a quick change. She cast one last look at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath to bolster her courage, and headed to answer the door.

"Hey," she greeted Laguna as she slid the door open.

"Hey Bre-" he cut himself off short, his eyes growing wide as he caught sight of her. She looked fantastic. Her hair, for once, fell loose and soft around her shoulders in a tousled mass that framed her lovely face. He had no idea where she'd gotten that shirt, but while it remained modest enough, it still revealed enough cleavage to be tempting. Her lips, normally full, had been painted into a tantalizing pout that simply begged to be kissed. Laguna's mouth went dry, and he swallowed hard as he suddenly realized that desires were coursing through his body that he hadn't felt in a very long time. "Brenna?" he finally managed.

Her gaze dropped and she suddenly looked shy. "I hope this is okay," she said, once again tugging on the edge of her blouse. "I went shopping with Kylah and Ellone…"

"No, it's great! I mean, you look… Ah… Wow," he stuttered.

She lifted her gaze up to his, trying hard to gauge how he really felt. She was genuinely surprised to see desire shimmering under the surface of his gaze. A warm flush crept over her cheeks. "I'm glad you like it," she said, daring to step closer.

A warm hum was beginning to radiate through Laguna's body. "You really do look amazing," he said, resting his hands on her hips and pulling her close for a deep kiss. Big mistake. The minute her body brushed against his as he pressed his lips to hers, all desires of going out for dinner went completely out the window.

"We should be going," Brenna finally murmured against his mouth several moments later.

Laguna groaned softly. "Do we hafta?" he murmured back.

She laughed softly, surprised to discover that she liked the effect she was having on him. "We probably should. It's too late to cancel our reservations and all," she pointed out. "Besides, we should celebrate your birthday somehow."

He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and counted to ten while he shoved any other ideas on how they could celebrate out of his head. "Alright," he finally said, cheerfully. "If we're gonna go, then let's be going." _Before I don't want to go at all…

* * *

_

"May I help you?" the host asked as they arrived at the restaurant a little while later.

Brenna shrugged out of her coat and handed it to the coat clerk. "Cormac, party of two," she said, as she smiled warmly at him.

Laguna could swear that he saw a pointed look pass between the two. "Of course!" the host said, enthusiastically. "We've been expecting you. Oh, and Mr. President! We're so glad that you could join us tonight." He merely nodded and smiled in response. "Right this way, we've got a table reserved for you in the back."

Brenna and Laguna followed him through the restaurant. Curiously, Laguna glanced around. He couldn't help but notice that the place was rather… empty that night. It was usually nearly impossible to get a table in the place. So, where was everyone?

"Right through here," the host said, gesturing to a door. He stepped back to politely allow the couple to enter the room first. Laguna rested his hand against the small of Brenna's back and led her through the door.

As soon as she passed through the doorway, Brenna slid to the side. Laguna thought it was odd, but he, too, entered the room to find their table.

"SURPRISE!"

Complete and utter shock registered on Laguna's face. Rather than a mostly empty room in a restaurant, he found himself in a room filled with friends and family. Kylah and Squall. Ellone. Cass. Kiros. Ward. He spotted Cid and Edea Kramer in the group. With Irvine's hat perched perkily atop her head, Selphie jumped up and down excitedly. Irvine leaned casually against the wall, and clapped with a crooked grin. Zell, laughing with Quistis. Even President Caraway and the Deraldi's could be spotted in the crowd.

"How the…? How did you manage to pull this off?" he asked, slightly bewildered as a grin began to spread over her lips.

Brenna grinned up at him as she slid her arm through his. "Kylah has been planning it for weeks," she said. "Ellone too. They asked me to trick you into getting you here."

He grinned down at her. "Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," she replied as the crowed descended on them.

* * *

Zell, Laguna, Irvine, and Squall were all lined up alongside the dance floor watching as the festivities of the party continued before them. "So, who's the babe?" Zell asked as he watched Brenna spin by with Kiros. Laguna shot him a dirty look as he took a sip from the bottle of beer in his hand. Before he had a chance to retort, he felt Irvine's hand reach around behind him, and heard a hollow thump come from the vicinity of Zell's head.

"Ow!" Zell yelped, rubbing his head and scowling at Irvine.

"Man, it's not cool to check out another guy's lady, especially when he's standing right next to you," Irvine drawled, chuckling.

"Aw, come on," Zell protested. "Some things are just there. I was just… uh… complimenting Laguna's fine taste in women!"

Squall swallowed a mouthful of beer. "Do you want a shovel, Zell?" he asked. "Because it's getting really deep in here."

Irvine snorted his drink up his nose.

"What are you gentlemen talking about?" Kylah asked as she sauntered up.

"How quickly Zell is digging his own grave," Laguna muttered, glaring at the younger man.

"Aw, c'mon, Laguna," he coaxed. "I can't appreciate an aesthetically pleasing member of the fairer sex?" He paused while Laguna shot him another glare. "Ohhhkaaaay…. I think I see Ellone without a dance partner," he said, quickly changing the subject. And with that, he scurried off.

Kylah rolled her eyes and glanced at his retreating back. "You'll have to forgive Zell," she said, dryly. "He has a tendency to let his mouth roam free without putting his brain into gear." She gulped down the last of the punch in her hand and then smiled up at Squall. "Come on, Leonhart," she said, grabbing him by the hand. "You haven't taken your wife for a spin on the dance floor yet."

When the duo had made it to the middle of the floor, they fell into step with one another, and Squall began casually spinning Kylah around the floor. "Are you sure you should be doing this?" he asked, eyeing her belly speculatively.

"I'm allowed to be on my feet as long as I feel like it," she countered. "Just ask my doctor. She's right over there."

As the tempo of the song shifted from a fast-paced beat to something softer and slower, Squall pulled Kylah into his arms and looked over her shoulder toward Brenna. "I think I'll pass on that," he said, his mouth twitching and amusement warming his voice. "She looks a bit occupied."

Squall spun her just enough so that she could see across the floor. Kylah chuckled softly as she saw that Laguna had cut in on Kiros and claimed a dance of his own with Brenna. Her smaller hand was clasped in his larger one as his other hand slid around her waist to pull her closer. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were the only two people in the world as far as they were concerned. As Kylah watched, Laguna leaned over to murmur something to Brenna, who laughed and nuzzled closer.

"Go get her, Laguna," Kylah murmured. "It just might be your lucky night."

Her husband scowled and spun her away from the view. "I really don't want to think about that," he observed, gruffly.

Kylah shot him a quizzical look.

"I may not always treat him the best in the world," Squall continued in explanation, "but he is my father. And there's just something… creepy about thinking about your parents having a 'lucky day.'"

She had to burry her face into his shoulder to cover the snort of laughter. "Okay," she finally managed, "point taken." She looked up and gazed over his shoulder at the cozy couple across the room. "He does look happy," she observed, smiling.

Squall glanced over his shoulder, and couldn't resist a small of his own. "Yeah," he does," he replied as he turned back around and pulled his wife closer.

The two were silent for several moments as they simply enjoyed the time spent together and the warm, romantic music that swirled around them. "So," Kylah finally said, "if you don't want to think about Laguna's 'lucky day,' how about your own chances of having a lucky night?" she asked as she coyly slanted a glance up at him.

He paused for a full heartbeat. "Are you sure you're up for that?" he asked for the second time that night.

Kylah rolled her eyes. "Like I said, I can do anything that I still feel up to," she replied, a grin curving her lips.

"Well, then…" Squall said, his eyes warming as he gazed down at her. "That's an entirely different discussion…"

He pulled his wife closer, resting his cheek against her temple as he danced her around the floor. He couldn't help but let his gaze drift back over to Laguna and Brenna, cozy and content across the room. A small smile turned up his lips. Though it was still difficult for him to admit, he had genuinely come to think of Laguna as his father over the last two years. The sight of the older man beginning to move past the ghosts of the past both pleased and relieved him. Maybe now, Laguna would understand just how happy Squall was…


	11. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Okay, I PROMISE that's the end of the fluff for now. I do have everything set up that I wanted to before I got into the real meat of the story, and now I'm ready to jump headlong into the plans that I've put into motion. _

_As we go into the upcoming chapters, I want you all to keep in mind that things may not always be what they seem. I've done some foreshadowing, but it's all been very subtle. Very, VERY subtle. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Malefactior, you said that you wanted to see some action… I'm not sure that this is exactly what you had in mind, though. XD_

Chapter 10

"So, did you have a good birthday?" Brenna asked. Laguna had walked her to her apartment after the party had finally died down well after midnight. She was leaned back against her door with Laguna standing in front of her, his face only inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and it added to the giddiness from champagne, dancing, and laughter that bubbled up within her.

"Yeah, I did," he said softly as he tucked a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. "Honestly, it was best birthday I've had in a long time," he admitted, a grin spreading over his lips. He traced the tip of his thumb over her lower lip.

Brenna returned the smile with one of her own, closing her eyes and sighing under his touch. "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?" she asked.

Laguna hesitated only briefly. "Yeah, I think I would," he said softly.

She unlocked the door and let them both in. "Have a seat," she nodded at the couch. She turned and smiled at him as she backed into the kitchen. "I'll get the coffee."

He stood with a goofy grin on his face as he watched her go. It was a full two minutes before he realized that he was standing goofily in her apartment, staring at the door that she had retreated behind. Chuckling to himself, he found a seat on the sofa and waited for her to return.

"Here you go," Brenna said, holding out a cup for him as she re-entered the room. She cradled her own mug in her hand and took a seat next to him, curling up on the couch to face him.

"Thanks," he replied, accepting the cup. He took a long sip and then set the mug on the coffee table next to the couch and turned toward her. "I meant what I said," he began. "This really has been the best birthday I can ever remember."

"I'm glad you've enjoyed it so much," she said, resting her mug next to his. "Kylah and Ellone really worked hard on the party…"

"Kylah and Ellone weren't the reasons that it was so great," he murmured, leaning closer. "And neither was the party."

The flush barely had a chance to register in her cheeks before his lips met hers. She sighed softly and responded with enthusiasm, her arms sliding up around his shoulders as the kiss deepened. Instinctively, Laguna pulled her closer and then pushed her backwards against the pillows behind her so that she fit neatly beneath him. He barely noticed as Brenna slid her hand behind his head, loosened his thick, dark hair from the band he'd thrown it up into and tangled her fingers in the strands.

They both lost track of how long they remained locked in the heated embrace. So neither of them were aware of how much time had passed when Laguna breathlessly pulled back to catch his breath. "Wow," he breathed.

"Yeah," Brenna replied, brushing his tousled hair out of his eyes.

After he'd had a moment to recover himself, Laguna glanced at the clock and groaned. "I should probably go," he said, sounding reluctant. "It's getting really late."

Brenna swallowed hard. "Laguna…" she began, softly. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"Nah," he said, sitting up. He ran a hand through his hair. "You'll be needing your sleep—"

"Laguna," she replied, amused. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"Really, its okay," he said. "I'll need some sleep too—"

Brenna silenced him by grasping him by the shoulders and shoving him backwards on the sofa. In one swift motion, she was stretched out on top of him, ravaging his mouth with hers. At first, he was too stunned to respond. It took only a moment for instincts to take over, however. "Laguna," Brenna added more softly when she finally broke the kiss. "You don't have to go." She sent him a pointed look.

"Oh," was all he could manage to say when he finally got her point. Silently, he stared up at her as the implications of her invitation registered in his mind. Visions of what could happen began to drift through his hazy brain. He swallowed hard, and opened his mouth to say something, anything, more intelligible in response.

He never got the chance, however, as a sharp, shooting pain roared through his leg.

"Oof!" he cried, the leg reflexively drawing up. His face contorted in pain as he grabbed it and tried to rub the painful muscle contractions out.

Brenna leaped off of him as if she'd been burned. "Are you okay?" she asked, a trained eye looking him over. The quick assessment revealed the source of the painful cry, and her physician's hands immediately came to rest on the limb. She could feel the muscles cramping beneath her touch, and so she began to expertly massage the contortions out.

"I'm fine," he replied, embarrassment flushing his cheeks. He had to admit, though, her hands were going a long way towards easing the pain. "This always happens when I get…nervous…" he hedged.

"Nervous?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your leg cramps up when you get nervous?"

He nodded, sheepishly.

She studied him for a moment, and then licked her lips. "What do you have to be nervous about?"

Uncomfortable, Laguna slid completely out from under Brenna and spun around so that he was facing the room, and not her. "Well…" he hesitated. "If I stay and we… well we, well you know…" By this time his cheeks were a flaming crimson. "I just, ah… well, let's just say that it's been a long time since I've… you know…" He couldn't even raise his eyes to her.

Brenna visibly softened. "How long, exactly?" she pressed, gently.

He shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "Ah… the last woman I was with was Squall's mother."

_Squall's mother?_ "I thought she passed away in childbirth." Brenna questioned.

Laguna paused and then nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Squall is twenty-five years old," she observed quietly.

Again he nodded, still refusing to look up.

_Oh, Laguna…_ Nothing he could have said would have tugged at her heart strings more, nor raised him any further in her estimation. That he was even considering staying meant the world to her knowing that he'd remained faithful to the same woman for over half his life.

"I just thought that you should probably know that before hand, if I do stay," he said, softly. "I mean… if I do, you've gotta know that it's not a casual thing for me. And… ah… I can't guarantee what kind of… performance…"

Brenna slid off of the couch and sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of him. She leaned forward, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "And you have to know that it would never, ever be casual, Laguna," she said softly, forcing his eyes to meet hers. "I care very much about you. If I really stopped to examine it," she said, considering, "I would probably say that I'm falling in love with you. And I hope," she added, grinning, "that you feel something for me too."

"I do, Brenna," he responded. "I wouldn't even be considering staying tonight if I didn't." He paused, a slight grin tugging at his lips. "Are you sure that you want me to stay?"

She moved from the table to his lap and slid her arms around his neck. Not a word passed her lips, but instead she captured his in a deep, heated kiss that he swore made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. "Absolutely," she murmured.

He traced a finger along her cheek. "Alright, then," he said. "I'll stay." In a swift, sudden motion he rose to his feet, scooping Brenna up in his arms. She gasped, startled, and pulled closer to him. "Well, that's a good start," he grinned. With a quick glance around, he located the door to her bedroom. His lips once again found hers as he strode across the room and they disappeared within the darkness of the room.

* * *

Brenna sighed contentedly and nuzzled further down in the bed. Her head was pillowed comfortably on Laguna's shoulder, his arm curled cozily around her, holding her close against him. Laguna would never be considered a Casanova in the bedroom. At times he had been a bit clumsy and awkward. But what he lacked in finesse and technique was more than made up for in passion and enthusiasm. And more than that, he'd bared his very soul to her. He'd held nothing back, had given her everything he had. Touched by his openness and vulnerability, Brenna had returned the gesture, opening herself completely to him. She couldn't remember ever feeling so happy and content in her life.

Laguna, for his part, found that he couldn't move. Brenna felt so soft and warm in his arms, her breath soothing across his bare chest. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her warm scent. _She smells amazing…_ he thought, drowsily, as he pulled her close. It occurred to him that this was the fist time in a long time that he could remember feeling so calm, relaxed, and completely de-stressed. A boyish grin played over his lips. He couldn't remember feeling this good in years! Spontaneously, he tipped Brenna's chin up and kissed her passionately, eliciting a startled and yet aroused gasp from her lips.

"Hmmm…" she murmured when he broke the kiss. "I'd ask if that was as good for you as it was for me, but I think you just answered my question," she added, grinning.

"How about… amazing," he said, punctuating the word with a kiss. "Fantastic." Another kiss. "Fabulous." Yet another.

Brenna laughed and rolled onto her back, pulling Laguna with her. She smiled up at him as he tucked a hand under her back, cuddling her close against him. "Now aren't you glad that you stayed?" she murmured, tracing a fingertip along his jaw line.

"You have no idea," he replied, softly. He kissed her again, this time tenderly and sweetly rather than playful and jovially. "This meant a lot to me," he added. "And I don't just mean the obvious."

She nodded. "It meant a lot to me too," she said. "I'm so very glad that you're here with me, and not a floor away." Her lips curved into a smile. "This is much nicer."

"I'll second that," he grinned. He pulled her close for another tender kiss, this one long and lingering. As the kiss progressed, it deepened. Brenna could sense Laguna subtly intensifying the kiss, a gentle urgency in his touch and his lips.

"Again?" she murmured, chuckling.

"Well…" he said, grinning sheepishly. "If you wouldn't mind…"

She arched an eyebrow as she looked up at him, mischief in her eyes. "I didn't think that men your age were supposed to have this much stamina," she observed in her most doctor-like tone.

Laguna chuckled and pressed her down against the bed. "How about we test that theory?" he suggested, lowering his lips to hers once again.

* * *

Late the next morning, Kiros found himself seated at a large table in a bustling restaurant surrounded by Ward, Kylah, Squall, Cass, Ellone, and the assorted SeeD from Balamb Garden. The night before, the group had made plans to meet for brunch that morning before they had parted ways for the night. He glanced at his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes and furrowed his brow. Laguna was late; very late. While it wasn't unusual for him to occasionally arrive a few minutes later than he was supposed to for an appointment, he was never more than ten minutes behind. Their meeting time had passed nearly thirty minutes ago.

"Huuuuuuungry!" Cassidy moaned impatiently. She leaned her head against Squall's arm and gazed up at him with large, pleading eyes.

He looked down at her with a bemused expression. "Hey, I'm just as hungry as you are, kid," he replied, "but since this whole weekend is about your grandfather's birthday, it'd be rude to start without him. So take it up with him."

The soft mutterings under her breath indicated that Cass intended to do just that. She sighed heavily and reached over on the table to play with the salt and pepper shakers. "What's taking him so long?" she grumbled as she attempted to balance the salt shaker on top of the pepper.

Squall took the shakers away and shot her a warning look. "I don't know," he responded. Briefly, he gazed questioningly at his wife who shrugged; she didn't know either.

"Brenna isn't here either," Quistis pointed out reasonably. "Maybe they're together?"

"I think I'll try giving him a call," Kiros said as he slipped out his cell phone. "Maybe he just forgot." Not likely, but anything was possible when Laguna was involved. He flipped the phone open and pushed a button to dial his friend's number. After several rings, he frowned at the phone and flipped it closed.

"No answer?" Kylah asked, raising a brow.

"Nope."

"Try his cell!" Selphie suggested, helpfully.

"He doesn't have one," Kiros replied, grimacing. This was one time that he wished that Laguna would give in and get a mobile phone.

"…"

"Ward says that Laguna refuses to get what he calls a 'leash,' and so mobiles are out for him."

"Try Brenna's place," Kylah interjected. "Maybe he's stopped there to pick her up? She hasn't gotten a cell yet since she moved here, or I'd suggest you try that."

"It's worth a shot, I suppose," Kiros said, reluctantly. He searched through his contacts until he found her number, dialed it, and waited patiently while it rang.

After the third ring, a groggy-sounding male voice answered the phone. "Hello?"

Kiros lifted an eyebrow, amusement sliding over his face. "Laguna?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the table in front of him. "Why are you answering Brenna's phone? And are you okay? You sound like you've been sleeping or sick or something."

Laguna fell silent on the other end of the phone. His sleepy brain searched for a reasonable answer to Kiros' question. He couldn't tell his friend that the reason he sounded sleepy was because he'd been sound asleep. Stark naked, and curled up around Brenna who was now sleepily rubbing her eyes and looking up at him curiously. "Ahh… I'm okay," he finally responded. "I answered the phone because Brenna couldn't get to it."

"Why not?"

Yes, why not? "Be… Because she was… ah… still sleeping…" Laguna's voice trailed off to a mumble.

"And what were you doing while she was sleeping?" Kiros asked, a mischievous expression in his eyes. By this time, he had the full and undivided attention of everyone at the table, save Cassidy. She was bewilderedly looking around the table at each adult and wondering what it was about Kiros' conversation that was so interesting.

"Me?" Laguna asked, innocently. "I was… Well… I was…" His brain fought furiously for an answer, but came up with none. He sighed. "I was sleeping too."

Kiros distinctly heard Brenna snickering in the background. "Sleeping in awfully late, aren't you?" Kiros teased his friend. "You'd think you had a busy night or something…"

By this time, Laguna had blushed to the roots of his hair. "Good Hyne, can't a man have some privacy?" he complained.

With a shake of his head, Kiros chuckled. "Well, I was calling to see if you were still planning to join us for brunch, but I guess you're otherwise occupied. So, we'll go ahead and eat without you." He paused, a devilish grin on his face. "You just enjoy your day off, Laguna."

Laguna groaned. "Good-bye, Kiros," he muttered, and hung up the phone. He pulled a pillow over his face for a moment, sighed heavily, and then peeked out from under the corner of it at Brenna. "We've been found out."

She merely laughed and snuggled sleepily up against him. "Ah well," she murmured. "There's a bright side to everything." Her lips curved into a smile and she looked up at him. "Now we don't have to go out today," she began, a suggestive undertone in her voice. Already she could see his embarrassment faded and interest begin to flare in his eyes. "So let's just stay in until the heat passes."

He threw his head back against the pillow and laughed heartily. "If we had to stay in here until that passed, we'd never come out," he deadpanned.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Laguna still had a bounce in his step as he strode into his office on Monday morning. Whistling, he retrieved a report that lay on the corner of his desk and began to scan it as he lowered himself into his chair.

"Aren't we in a good mood this morning? I could hear you whistling all the way down the hall." He looked up to see Kylah stepping into the room, a bright grin on her face. "Did you have a good weekend?" she asked, innocently.

"Maybe," he muttered defensively, a blush creeping up into his cheeks.

Kylah chuckled and walked over to perch herself on the edge of his desk. "I won't tease you," she promised. "Partly because I know that Kiros and Ward will get in enough jabs for all three of us."

Laguna groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And partly," she continued, "because I'm really glad to see you so happy for once."

A soft smile played at the corners of his lips. "Thanks," he said, sheepishly. He paused, and glanced contemplatively out the window. "I really am happy," he said. He sounded almost amazed to admit it. "I woke up this morning," he continued, "and there she was, curled up so nice and peaceful next to me. I felt so… content."

Kylah studied him for a moment. "You're falling pretty hard for her, aren't you?" she asked.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, blushing into his coffee mug.

"No more obvious than it is that she's falling hook line and sinker for you," she replied, hopping down off of the desk. "Laguna," she said, "I love you like you're my own father. In fact, I'm closer to you than I am my own father," she grinned. "So, I really am glad to see you so happy." She leaned over and kissed him soundly on the cheek. "And just so you know, if she breaks your heart I will have to kick her ass."

Laguna laughed. "I feel sorry for her if it comes to that, then."

* * *

At first he thought that maybe he was just working too hard. By the end of the workday on Monday Laguna was beginning to feel a bit rundown and tired. His head began to ache just a bit right behind his eyes. He told himself that it had been a busy day and that he was under a lot of pressure with taking on Kylah's workload in addition to her own so that she could go on maternity leave. A good night's sleep would set him as good as new. 

By Tuesday a dull ache around his joints set in with the fatigue. He rolled the muscles of his shoulders around as he worked that afternoon, trying to ease the tension and pain that rested across his back. Kiros and Ward both repeatedly asked him if he was feeling alright, but he brushed their concerns off, saying that he just wasn't used to the vigorous activities that he'd been involved in lately.

On Wednesday, however, that fatigue and achiness had evolved into a full-blown headache. He sat at his desk, the lights dimmed to darkness, and held the phone to his ear as Mayor Dobe spoke on the other end. Laguna had two fingers massaging his temple with his eyes closes as he listened to the other man's concerns.

"Really, Mayor, I assure you that this will be a completely independent project in FH. Esthar will put up the hospital for you, and then leave you and your people to run it. We will not interfere."

"I just want to make sure, President Loire," Dobe replied. "It's not that we don't appreciate the help and all, but…"

Laguna squeezed his eyes more tightly shut. The room was beginning to spin. "I understand your position completely. I'll have our current plan outline sent over to you immediately. I gotta be going now," he rushed on, not giving Dobe a chance to respond. "Have a good one, Mr. Mayor."

The two men exchanged pleasant goodbyes and Laguna hung up. With a sigh of relief, he rested his head in his arms on the desktop. It felt like the entire Galbadian military band was marching a parade in his head, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Laguna, you okay, man?"

He snapped his head up from the desk and smiled weakly at Kiros. "I'm fine," he replied. "I just have a headache the size of the Centra continent. He tossed aside some paperwork and stretched lazily. "It's about time to call it a day anyway."

"…"

"Ward says that maybe you should let Brenna get you nice and relaxed after work."

The president could barely contain a grimace. Even the thought of an… intimate conversation with Brenna didn't appeal at that moment. He stood up from his chair, and braced himself briefly against the desk as he waited for the room to fall still. A brief wave of nausea had him taking a deep breath to steady himself. What the heck was wrong with him? "We did have plans to go out tonight, but I think I'll see if she'd rather stay in. I think my head might explode if I go out."

"Okay, man," Kiros said as Laguna made his way toward the door. He and Ward exchanged a brief look. "Take care of yourself and get some rest," Kiros added. "You don't look so great."

"Gee, thanks," he murmured half-heartedly. He hated to admit it, but the truth was that he didn't feel so great, either.

* * *

Brenna was humming softly to herself as she strode down the corridor to Laguna's apartment. They'd made plans the night before to spend the evening having dinner and then attending a play, one that she had been looking forward to seeing for some time. It had been a genuinely good day at work, and she was looking forward to the evening ahead. She paused to check her reflection in a window as she passed, and then let herself into Laguna's apartment. 

The apartment was dim inside as she stepped inside, and her brow furrowed curiously. She spotted Laguna stretched out across the couch, an arm draped over his eyes in the semi-darkness. Curiously, she approached the couch quietly. She assumed he was sound asleep, and didn't want to disturb him.

"I'm awake," he murmured without moving his arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of the couch next to him.

He shook his head slightly. "I have possibly the worst headache that I've ever had in my life," he complained. He slid his arm aside and cringed when the small amount of light in the room hit his eyes. "I hate to say it," he admitted, "but I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to head out to the play tonight. I'm sorry, Bren."

She leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on his forehead. A frown fell over her features, and she leaned back but reached a hand up to smooth back his hair. "No need to apologize," she replied. "I think you're running a bit of a fever."

He chuckled softly and waved her statement away. "I never get sick," he retorted. "It's just a headache. Really, I'll be okay. Let's just order something in and watch a movie here or something."

Reluctantly, Brenna agreed. He did his best to maintain a cheerful front as they ate together, but she could tell that he just wasn't feeling himself. Her concern grew when he settled down and rested his head in her lap as they settled down on the couch. Within minutes, he'd dozed off restlessly.

Gently, she slid the band out of his hair and began slowly sliding her fingers through the dark strands. Her fingers would linger at his temple, rub it gently for a second, and then tenderly slide the fingers down through his hair. Gradually, he relaxed some, but she could still see him tense occasionally as a fresh wave of pain hit.

She let him lay there for quite some time before she gently shook him awake. "Laguna," she murmured, "it's late, and you'll probably rest better in bed."

He slid one green eye open and looked up at her. "Stay with me tonight?"

"You really want me to stay, even as bad as you feel?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I won't lie; there is absolutely no way I'd be up for any kind of action tonight," he admitted. "But… I'd still like you to stay." He looked up at her with both eyes pleading, and she understood what he wasn't saying. He felt horrible, and he wanted some comfort.

Tenderly, she smiled and ran her fingertips over his forehead, causing him to close his eyes and sigh. "I'll stay, then" she murmured. She managed to coax Laguna up off of her lap so that she could stand, and then she helped him to his feet. As he made his way to the bedroom, Brenna took note that his balance seemed a bit off, too. Her physician's mind briefly wondered when he'd last had a physical, and made note to check that when she went into work in the morning.

After several minutes, she had him settled comfortably into his bed. She crawled in next to him and slid beneath the covers herself. Instinctively, Laguna rolled over and snuggled up against her, resting a head on her shoulder. Brenna smiled, pulled him closer, and kissed his temple. She closed her eyes and she, too, settled down to go to sleep, though with a slight shadow of worry clouding her face.

* * *

When his alarm went off the next morning, Laguna groaned and buried his head under the pillow. The sound of it sent spikes of pain ricocheting through his head, and alerted him to the fact that the previous day's headache had not gone away. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse. 

It took him several minutes, but he finally managed to find the energy to crawl out from under the pile of blankets and pillows over him. He reached for Brenna, but found that she was not there. He glanced briefly around the room, and found a note resting on his bedside table:

_Laguna,_

_I had to be in the office early, so I went ahead in to work. If you aren't feeling any better, stay home from work and come and see me in the office around mid-morning._

_Love,_

_Brenna_

He made a face, balled up the note, and tossed it into a trashcan in the corner. He didn't feel better; in fact, he felt worse. But there was far too much that he needed to do at work to be able to justify staying home. Sighing, he hauled himself out of bed. She wouldn't like it, but he'd satisfy her and let her poke and prod around on him later that afternoon so that she'd conclude the same thing that he already had: he was just working too hard.

The process of getting dressed for work took twice as long as normal. He vetoed the idea of his normal morning workout and instead decided to go straight to the office. But he had to pause in his routine periodically, whenever the room would abruptly decide to spin around him. He would stop, close his eyes, and will the whirling to cease before he would move on.

The result was that he arrived at his office only minutes before he would have if he'd taken the time to go to the gym. The corridor was still silent, as no one else had yet come in that day. He fumbled in his pocket and withdrew the key to his office door. To his surprise, he had developed a tremor in his hand that made it difficult to insert the key into the lock.

He had only just managed to insert the key and turn the lock when the pain in his head suddenly exploded, blindingly. Laguna cried out and slid to his knees in front of the door, knocking it open as he fell against it. A sharp wave of nausea slid over him. _Well… just when things were finally starting to look good…_ was the last thought that drifted through his mind just before a cold darkness overcame him.


	13. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Mweeeheehee… And now the fun really begins. I've dropped a LOT of hints in this chapter as to part of what's going on, but it's all really subtle. _

Chapter 12

Kylah glanced at her watch yet again as she crossed over into the presidential corridor. She was late for work, a rarity for a woman who was usually in the office at least a half an hour before she had to be. The night before, however, Squall had fallen ill with what appeared to be stomach flu, and Cassidy had then come down with it in the middle of the night. She'd spent most of a sleepless night taking care of both an ill husband and a sick child, and the lack of sleep and busy morning had thrown her schedule off. Ellone had graciously agreed to step in and look after them while Kylah went to work, and so – feeling a bit guilty for doing so – she had left them in her care.

The first thing that struck her as odd when she entered the corridor was that Laguna's office door was standing ajar. If he wasn't in the office, the door was supposed to be shut and locked. She couldn't hear Laguna's and Kiros' voices floating down the hallway, however, and the lights were still off. Cautiously, Kylah withdrew a small dirk that she carried in the top of her boots and crept over to the office. Inside she found…

…Absolutely nothing. She flipped on the lights and looked around, confused to find that the office was completely empty. Eyebrow lifted, she glanced again at her watch. Laguna should have been in over an hour ago, and Kiros and Ward shortly after. Where were they?

She shrugged and turned to leave the office, closing the door and locking it behind her. She figured that the three men had just stepped out for a minute to see to something, and had forgotten about the door. Unperturbed, she stepped down the hallway and unlocked the door to her own office.

The blinking light on her desk phone alerted her to the fact that the first thing she needed to do was check her messages. She settled herself into her desk chair as she pressed the message button and grabbed a pen to write some notes about the messages that awaited her. The first was from Ambassador Deraldi wanting to speak with her about an upcoming political summit. She made a note to check her schedule and return his call. The second was her mother, calling to check on her and the baby. Kylah smiled and pressed a hand to her bulging belly. _Just another few weeks…_ she thought, excitedly. The third message was the Duke of Dollet's representative simply requesting that she phone him back. She made a face, but wrote it down. The Duke's representative was a fussy, stuffy man that she couldn't stand. The less she had to do with him the better.

Kiros' voice flooded into her ear with the fourth message, and made her pause. "Kylah," he said, sounding hurried, "it's Kiros. I've been trying to get hold of you all morning. Why haven't you been answering your cell phone?"

Quickly, she slid it out to look at it, only to find that the battery was dead. In all of the confusion with taking care of Cassidy, she'd forgotten to charge it.

"Anyway," Kiros rushed on, "you need to get to the hospital wing immediately." Her heart skipped a beat as he paused. "It's Laguna…"

She didn't waste another second before she slammed the phone down on the hook and hauled herself up out of the chair. She rushed out the door, barely remembering to lock it behind her, and shot down the corridor as fast as she could manage. Though she nearly trampled a poor, unsuspecting palace aide as she rushed along, but she merely tossed a careless apology over her shoulder. Kylah reached the hospital wing in record time, and found Kiros and Ward seated in the waiting area inside, a grim expression on both of their faces.

"I came as soon as I got your message," she said breathlessly. "I didn't get it sooner because I was late coming in. Squall and Cass are both down with the flu. What the heck is going on?"

The two men exchanged a glance. "Kylah, maybe you should sit down…" Kiros began.

She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I'm pregnant," she informed him, "not an invalid. And I'm not some fragile woman who is going to fall apart at the drop of a hat. Now tell me, what is going on."

Kiros threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay…" he relented. He sighed heavily and glanced at an exam room door nearby. "Ward and I went into work this morning like usual," he began. "When we got to Laguna's office, we found him out cold in the doorway. It looked like he'd gotten the door halfway open and then just collapsed in the corridor."

Kylah pursed her lips, thoughtfully. "He hasn't been feeling very well the past couple of days," she pointed out. "Does Brenna know what's wrong with him."

Ward shrugged, and Kiros spoke. "She didn't say much when we brought him in. She just basically told Ward and me to get out of her way and took him off to that exam room over there. We haven't seen her since, but we've seen nurses and physician's assistant's rushing in and out of there, and we've heard her bark out a few orders when the door has opened."

"…"

"Yeah, she's a scary woman when she's working."

"So, we have no idea what's going on?" Kylah pressed.

Kiros shook his head. "She had a really serious expression on her face when she took him in, but she hasn't said anything yet."

"She still has that serious expression," Kylah said, looking past Kiros. He turned around to see that Brenna was exiting the exam room, looking both grim and thoughtful. Her eyes were fixed on a chart in her hand, silently going over the information written on it.

"Brenna," Kylah spoke up as she approached the other woman. "How is he? What's going on?"

Brenna glanced up from the chart as if surprised by their presence. "I wish I knew," She sighed, removing her glasses from her nose. "I'm afraid, though, that I don't have many more answers than I had when he was first brought in." She paused and glanced at the chart. "We do know what has been causing the headache that he's had for the last few days: swelling of his brain."

"That… sounds serious," Kiros murmured, concern mounting in his eyes.

"It is," Brenna agreed. "It wasn't swelling enough to be extremely dangerous yet, but it is putting him in quite a bit of pain. We're giving him something to reduce the swelling, and in the meantime we have him sedated. That's not the worst part of it, though," she added.

"What's the worst part?" Kylah asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"There doesn't seem to be any cause for it. Laguna is in remarkably good health for a man his age. He has the body of a thirty-year-old. So, there's nothing in his body that should be causing this. Thanks to the wonders of Estharian technology, I've been able to scan his body for either a viral infection or a bacterial infection, which would be the likely causes for such a thing. We found absolutely nothing."

"…"

"Ward wants to know why that's the worst part," Kiros replied.

"If I know what's causing it, then I know how to treat it," Brenna explained. "As it stands, I have no idea what is causing this, and can't formulate a plan of attack on it. I'm going to be spending time in the next few hours trying to track down the source, when I could be finding a way to heal him." She shook her head. "With a situation like this, every moment counts. If he doesn't respond well to the drugs that we're giving him and the swelling doesn't go down, we're going to be against the clock." She paused. For the first time since Laguna had been brought to her that morning her cool, professional composure faltered. "If I can't get this under control, he could…" She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Wow," Kylah breathed. She sank down into a nearby chair. Briefly, she had a strange feeling of déjà vu. She'd been in this very room two years ago listening to a doctor say nearly the same thing about Squall. That if something couldn't be done, they would lose him.

Squall…

"Brenna, we'll stay out of your hair for a while so that you can get some work done," Kylah said. She stood and started making her way toward the door. "Kiros, Ward, we've got some work to do if Laguna is going to be out of commission for a few days. But first…" She paused and sighed. "I need to stop by my apartment and take care of something."

"What's that?" Brenna asked.

"Ellone is there to help out Squall and take care of Cass today while they're both down with the flu," she explained to Brenna.

"Squall and Cassidy both have the flu?" Brenna asked. When Kylah nodded, she continued. "Make sure they both get plenty of fluids and lots of rest. If they aren't any better by tomorrow, I'll want to see them."

Despite the grim situation that surrounded them, Kylah had to fight not to laugh. Though she could see the fear and worry written deep in Brenna's face, she was ever the physician. "I'll remember that," she said to the doctor. "In the meantime… Squall and Ellone need to know what's going on with Laguna."

Brenna nodded. "I'll keep you updated as I know anything," she said, and then disappeared into her office.

Once she stepped into her office, Brenna leaned back against the closed door. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep, cleansing breath. None of the education and training she'd received in medical school had prepared her for this. She was prepared to deal with the physical end of things. She would run tests, and observe the situation, and she would find out what was wrong with Laguna so that she could pull him through this. She was trained, educated, and prepared for all of that.

But the emotional… The image of Laguna lying on that bed, pale as the sheets beneath him assaulted her once more. That alone had nearly been enough to undo her. Every moan of pain, every restless toss and turn had twisted painfully in her heart. She knew that she had to separate the emotional and the professional and put Laguna's best interests first. But it took every ounce of strength she had not to pull him into her arms and will the pain away for him.

She recognized, however, that Laguna needed a doctor right now, and not a lover. And so, the doctor she would be. Grabbing a drink from the fridge at the side of the room and two medical references from her bookshelf, Brenna perched her glasses back on her nose, settled herself down at her desk and fired up her computer. She would get to the bottom of this, and as quickly as she could.

Laguna's life may very well depend on her.

* * *

Kylah tried to slip quietly into her apartment on the possibility that Squall and Cassidy were both sleeping. As she entered the living room, however, she quickly discovered that was not necessary. She found Squall stretched out on the couch, clad in a comfortable grey sweat suit. He was not alone. Ellone was there just as Kylah expected. She was surprised, however, to find Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, and Zell all lounging about her living room as well.

"I thought you guys were all going back to Balamb today," she observed as she lifted a brow.

"We heard that Squall was sick, and so we decided to come and keep him entertained until he was better!" Selphie replied cheerfully.

Amused, she strode over and sat down on the edge of the couch next to her rather pale husband. "Entertaining, huh?" she murmured. The look Squall shot her told her exactly what he thought of Selphie's idea of entertaining him, and brought a smile to her lips. "How are you feeling?" she asked, lacing a hand through his.

He was lying comfortably back against a set of pillows, one arm resting behind his head. "Pretty crappy," he said. "I just can't figure out why. I never get sick."

That was no exaggeration. Kylah couldn't recall him having so much as a cold in the two years that they'd been together. "I suppose it's bound to happen sooner or later if you have children," she reasoned. She paused for a moment and glanced around. "Is Cass asleep?" she asked, cautiously.

"She dropped off for a nap about a half an hour ago," Ellone replied. "Did you need her for something?"

"Actually…" Kylah hesitated. "There's something that I need to tell you both," she glanced back and forth between Squall and Ellone, "and it's probably better that she's not around."

Squall's eyes remained fixated on his wife's face as if trying to read beneath her calm surface. "What's going on?"

"It's Laguna…" she began. She saw Ellone stiffen out of the corner of her eye. "Ah… I'm not quite sure where to begin…" She took a deep breath. "Kiros and Ward went into work like normal this morning," she began, "and when they got to Laguna's office they found him unconscious in the doorway. He was rushed to the hospital wing, and is still there now under Brenna's care."

Silence hung heavy over the room for a moment. "Is he going to be alright?" Ellone asked. She looked positively stricken.

"I… hope so," Kylah replied, gently. "At this point, Brenna can't find the cause for the problems. His brain is swelling, which is the reason that he's had such a headache the last few days. He's running a fever as well. But, until she knows what's causing it, all she can do is treat the symptoms."

"Sir Laguna has to get better!" Selphie wailed from across the room.

"How serious is this really, Kylah?" Quistis asked.

She sighed and glanced at Squall, who remained silent through this entire exchange. "At the moment, Brenna is giving him something to reduce the swelling, and she has him sedated. That should hold him relatively stable while she runs some further tests. But, she did say that if he doesn't respond to the drugs and if she doesn't find the cause for this and a cure…" Kylah trailed off.

She heard Squall's sharp intake of breath. His brow was furrowed and she could see conflict and concern in his eyes. "Did Brenna seem confident that she could find what's causing his illness?" he asked.

"I think that Brenna was planning to camp out in her office and the research lab until she does find it," Kylah said, confidently. "She looked pretty determined when I left, and I don't think she was planning to leave until she found the cause and the cure."

"What makes you so sure?" Squall asked, skeptically.

"Because," she said softly, reaching once again for his hand, "if it were me, and you were the one lying in that bed, I wouldn't leave or stop until I had answers and had pulled you through it."


	14. Author's Note

_Author's Note: No, I haven't forgotten about this story. Believe me, I'd love to be able to just go straight through and finish it. School is really kicking my butt this subterm, though, and I just started a new job on top of that. So, I just don't have as much time to write as I'd like. _

_On top of that, I made a horrible mistake that I could just kick myself over. I had the first half of the next chapter written out. But then, because I wasn't paying close enough attention when I was cleaning off my laptop last week, I inadvertedly deleted it. And so, all of that work was lost. I have re-started the chapter, and I'm almost back up to the point that I'd left off. I'm really hoping to have it done by the end of next week. Maybe. Keep your fingers crossed. _

_Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about the story. I could never forget about Laguna! The biggest problem is just an overabundance of school work. If you'd like to file complaints, I'll be happy to send you my professors' e-mail addresses so that you can write and chew them out for treating me like a slave. _


	15. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: FINALLY an update. This was a hard chapter to write, for various reasons that I won't go into. I think that now I'm past this one, things will go much faster. It may not be the best chapter that I've done, but it got the job done._

_I actually got this done several days ago, but there was apparently a problem with the website and I couldn't upload it until now. If it wasn't for that, you could have read this days ago! _

Chapter 13

The night had passed by in a blur. Brenna had moved at an almost frantic pace between her office, the research laboratory, and Laguna's bedside. Despite the barrage of tests that she'd run and the coffee fueled night of research, she was no closer than she'd been the morning before to knowing what had caused his illness.

Dawn was now breaking over the city of Esthar, but deep in the hospital wing Brenna wouldn't know it. At that moment, she didn't care. She was seated by Laguna's bed as she waited for the results of the latest round of test. One arm was folded on the edge of his bed, her chin resting on her forearm. Her other hand was laced lightly through his fingers, her thumb gently stroking the side of his hand as she watched him sleep.

If you could call it sleep. Because of the pain that still obviously plagued him, Laguna was kept sedated. The sleep he experienced as a result was a drug-induced coma of sorts rather than a natural sleep. Even so, the fever that had spiked during the night had him tossing and turning restlessly, as if he were struggling for consciousness against the medication.

Brenna was frustrated. More than any other patient that she'd ever dealt with in her life, she wanted to pull Laguna through this. And for the first time in her professional life, she had no idea how to combat this. As she watched his pale face contort with pain once more, the pang in her heart that she'd grown accustomed to in the last twenty-four hours hit her once more. Gently, she reached up and smoothed his hair back away from his forehead. "I'll get you through this somehow," she whispered, tenderly, leaning over to press a kiss to his hot forehead. "I promise."

"Dr. Cormac?" a soft voice spoke up from the door. She turned to find Nurse Bingham peering in. "I hate to interrupt, but Minister Deraldi just brought her husband and child in."

The concerned frown on Brenna's face deepened. "Alright, I'm coming," she replied. She remembered her conversation with Kylah from the day before, and didn't like the idea of what this likely meant.

"Kylah," she said, stepping into the hall. "What's going on?"

The redhead turned around to look at the doctor, her blue eyes surveying her up and down. "That's the same outfit you were wearing yesterday," she said. "Have you slept at all?"

Brenna glanced down at the wrinkled sweater and slacks and shrugged. "I caught a couple hours sleep earlier," she assured the younger woman. "I just…" She paused and sighed. "I can't bring myself to leave."

Kylah nodded, compassion and understanding in her eyes. "How is Laguna?" she asked.

The furrow of Brenna's brow told Kylah all she needed to know. "Not good," she replied, dragging her hand through her hair. "He started running a fever in the middle of the night, and now this blasted…whatever has started to attack his respiratory system." She sighed and shook her head to clear it. "But, I have other patients that need my attention, too." She grabbed a pen and paper from a nearby table and looked expectantly at Kylah. "Tell me what's going on with Squall and Cassidy."

As Kylah listed the symptoms, Brenna's mind flew over possibilities. When she had finished speaking, the doctor gazed thoughtfully at the list of symptoms and then looked back up at Kylah. "It sounds like a very persistent stomach flu," she began, "but if they can't keep anything down it's probably best that you brought them in. I'll most likely put them on IV fluids to prevent dehydration right off, and maybe some anti-nausea medicine. Don't worry," she said, her voice full of confidence, "I'll find out what the problem is."

A moment later, Brenna entered Cassidy's room. The girl definitely looked a bit pale, but she was sitting up in the hospital bed, her eyes fixated with rapt interest on the television. She was completely engrossed in a popular children's program. "How are you feeling, Miss Cassidy?" Brenna asked as she entered the room.

Cass looked away from the TV and made a face. "I keep tossin' my cookies," she announced with disgust.

Brenna couldn't help but laugh at the matter-of-fact announcement. She stepped over to the bedside and popped a thermometer under Cassidy's tongue. "Well, then let's see if we can get the cookies to stay down," she said. She proceeded with her exam, joking and laughing with Cassidy as she took her temperature, gently felt around on her tummy, and checked her pulse. All things considered, Cass didn't seem horribly ill. She was nauseous, and certainly couldn't keep anything down. But as long as she didn't eat she wasn't too ill. Her temperature was slightly elevated, but her pulse was normal and she wasn't lethargic. In fact, she was almost energetic.

"Alright, kiddo," Brenna announced when she was finished. "I'm afraid that we're going to have to give you some fluids through a needle in your arm."

Cassidy looked slightly panicked. "Will it hurt?" she asked warily.

"Maybe a little," Brenna replied, smoothing her hair back, "but the medicine that we'll give you will make you feel better. I'll send your mom in to be with you while the nurse does it, and maybe afterwards you can handle a popsicle."

Reluctantly, Cass nodded. Brenna squeezed her hand and then exited the room. "You can go in with her," she said, nodding at the door. "She's a little nervous about the idea of an IV, so I think she needs you."

Kylah smiled slightly, and nodded in understanding. "A mother's job is never done," she joked. Beneath the humor, though, Brenna could see her worry.

She patted Kylah's arm as she passed. "Go be with her while I see your husband."

As she entered Squall's room, she found that he was not faring nearly as well as his daughter. The usually tall, powerful and solid SeeD commander was clad in a grey sweatsuit, and lying on his side. His eyes were closed, and a grimace of discomfort was etched in his expression. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. To top the already pitiful sight, he'd wrapped his arms over his stomach and tucked his knees up as high as they would go.

Brenna approached the bed quietly in case he was sleeping. She found out he wasn't when one eye slid open the second that she pressed a hand to his forehead to get an idea of what kind of fever he was running. "How's Laguna?" he asked weakly.

Her heart lurched in response to his words. Several nights before, as they'd lain tangled together in the wee hours of the morning, Laguna had confessed to her how much he wished that his relationship with Squall was better. He hated the distance that Squall insisted on keeping between them, and wanted more than anything to tear down those last few walls that the younger man stubbornly held up. How much it would have meant to him to know that Squall's first thoughts were of him, despite how ill Squall himself was.

"He's not doing so well," she replied, taking his wrist in her fingers and feeling for his pulse. A little fast, but not unreasonable. "You don't look so great, either."

Squall grimaced and shook his head ever so slightly. "I didn't know it was possible for one human being to puke this much," he muttered.

Brenna laughed softly. "Cass complained of tossing her cookies too," she replied, making notes on a chart next to his bed.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "She isn't nearly as sick," he murmured.

"No, she doesn't seem to be," Brenna replied. Gently, she rolled him over onto his back and nudged his knees out of her way. She forced herself to ignore the groans of discomfort and complaint and commenced the same gentle abdominal exam that she'd given Cassidy. "Any pain?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "But…" he turned a violent shade of green.

"Right," Brenna replied. She managed to snatch up a nearby trash can just as Squall managed to roll over onto his side.

When he was finished, Brenna handed him a cool, damp cloth to press against his now flushed cheeks. "Ugh," he murmured.

"I'll get you something for the nausea," she said, sympathetically.

"Thanks," Squall replied from beneath the cloth. He dared to peek out at her. "Is this as weird for you as it is for me?" he asked.

"How so?" she asked after a pause.

"You're taking care of me, just held a trashcan for me while I was sick, and you're… ah…. Well, you and my father are…"

"…Involved?" she supplied helpfully as she hid a smile and wrote on her chart.

"Yeah," Squall replied, relaxing weakly on the bed.

"Maybe a little odd," she admitted, capping her pen and sticking it back in the pocket of her lab coat. "But, I know that he'd want you to be in the best hands possible, and so, in a way, I'm looking after you for him."

Squall remained silent with closed eyes for so long that Brenna wondered if he'd fallen asleep. "You've gotta pull him through this," he finally murmured. He did sound drowsy.

"I'll do my best," she replied softly.

"I know you will," he said. She could tell he was teetering on the verge of falling asleep. "You love him as much as I do…"

* * *

Several hours later, night had long since fallen over the city of Esthar. Deep in the presidential palace, Kylah Deraldi Leonhart stood silently in an empty corridor, gazing through a clear, cold, glass window.

Her eyes rested on her still, silent father-in-law. The beeping, flashing machine above his head revealed that his vital signs were gradually growing less and less stable, and the fever that raged through his body was nearly out of control. Just above the oxygen mask that covered most of his face, she could see dark smudges beneath his closed eyes. A dark dusting of whiskers covered his pale cheeks. She could see, even from her vantage point in the hallway, that each breath he took was labored.

In the two adjacent rooms, she knew that her husband and her daughter both slept. Cassidy had remained nearly the same through the day, though she had grown gradually more lethargic. It nearly broke her heart to peer in on Squall, who had grown progressively worse through the day. Despite the medicine that Brenna had given him, his stomach churned rebelliously, and his fever elevated. In the entire two years that she'd known him, she'd never seen him so ill. Even more disconcerting, Edea had admitted to her that she, too, couldn't ever recall Squall ever being quite this sick.

She scarcely noticed when Ellone stepped up next to her until the other woman spoke. "Any change?"

Kylah sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Not for the better," she murmured.

"And Brenna still hasn't found anything?"

"Not for lack of trying." For the first time, Kylah turned away from the window. "She's killing herself working on this." She caught Ellone's eye. "I don't think she'd leave Laguna's side if she could manage it."

"She loves him," Ellone said softly. She pressed her hand to the cool glass and gazed into the room. "I wasn't sure how I felt about that at first. Raine… adored him. And she died calling for him. It was just so difficult to see him with another woman. But…" she hesitated. "I think even Raine would see how much Brenna loves him."

"Kylah?" a soft voice interrupted their conversation. Both women turned to look at Kiros and Ward, as they both entered the corridor. "We need to talk…" Kiros added.

Ellone took one look at his grim expression and decided to make a hasty exit. "I'll leave you alone and go check on Cassidy," she murmured. She turned to leave, casting one last troubled glance over her shoulder as she pushed open the door and entered the girl's room.

"Alright," Kyah said once Ellone was out of earshot. "Let me have it."

The two men glanced at each other briefly. "This isn't exactly an easy conversation to have…" Kiros began. "Maybe you should sit down."

Kylah folded her arms over her chest and shook her head firmly. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she stated. "And you know that I'm not a fragile woman who will fall apart at the drop of the hat. So let me hear it."

"Alright, alright," Kiros relented. Slowly, he withdrew a sheaf of papers from his inner jacket pocket and handed them to her.

She took the papers and silently read over them. When she finished, her eyebrows shot up and she read them again. "Oh, Kiros…" she breathed. "No."

"…"

"Ward is right, Kylah. Under the circumstances, we have to and you know it."

Almost angrily, she slammed the papers down on a nearby table. "Granting me presidential power?" she asked. "Why me?"

"That should be obvious," Kiros replied, exasperated. "You are Laguna's right hand woman, and he isn't capable of doing the job right now."

"…"

"Exactly. This only grants you temporary power until Brenna releases Laguna to return to work," Kiros added pointing to a spot on the first page.

Anxiety flowed through Kylah's body, tensing her shoulders. "I can't do this now," she murmured, gazing into Laguna's room.

Kiros sighed, stepped forward, and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Kylah, Laguna chose you to do this job. And right now, he needs you to forget that he's your father-in-law and do your job. You know as well as I do what he'd tell you to do."

Her shoulders sagged. "He'd tell me to get my ass in gear and sign the paper," she muttered. Breaking away from Kiros, Kylah stepped over to the table. She pulled a pen out of her pocket and moved to sign the paper. Just short of the document, though, she hesitated, her hand hovering over it. Her gaze drifted up and she once again looked in at Laguna. "I hate this," she murmured, rapidly blinking away tears.

And then, before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she scrawled her signature on the document.

When she was finished, she threw the pen down on the table and looked at Kiros. "I don't like it," she said, evenly. "And I want that to go on record." And with that, she turned on her heel an strode away as gracefully as she could manage with her belly protruding in front of her and headed toward Squall's room. As she marched down the corridor, she pushed past a freshly showered Brenna who was now clad in neutral green surgical scrubs.

Kylah paused and looked at the woman. "Pull him through this," she said. "And pull him through quickly." She then continued on her way, turning away swiftly and vanished into the room.

But not before Brenna caught the sheen of tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong with Kylah?" she asked curiously as she approached Kiros and Ward.

"We had to make her assume presidential power, at least temporarily," Kiros responded with a heavy sigh.

Concern filled Brenna's eyes, and she glanced back at the doorway into which she had disappeared. "Be careful," she warned them, "and don't push her too hard. She's right at the end of her term, and if she's placed under too much stress she could go into labor." She looked back at the men. "And then who will take care of things?"

"Dammit, we don't like this anymore than she does," Kiros burst out. "Laguna is our best friend, and has been for nearly thirty years. Does she think that we don't care?"

"I'm sure she does," Brenna replied. "But it's not just Laguna she's thinking of." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Squall is rapidly deteriorating, and Cassidy isn't getting any better. Kylah has a lot on her mind and she's gotta be scared to death." She offered them a wobbly smile. "I know I am. The clock is working against me, and I'm no closer to knowing what's going on than I was yesterday."

She continued on and pushed open Laguna's door, with both Kiros and Ward hot on her heels.

"…"

"You still don't know?"

"I've run every test I know of," she murmured, gently smoothing Laguna's hair away from his feverish forehead. "And I've used the most sophisticated equipment known to man. I've turned up nothing."

Frustrated and near tears, she reached for Laguna's hand. "You'll figure it out," Kiros murmured.

Abruptly, though, her expression changed. Her eyes were fixated on Laguna's hand, brow furrowed with concentration.

"…"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Kiros asked, noting the change in expression.

"His nails…" she murmured. "They're yellowed…" She flashed backwards several hours, and in her mind's eye, she was standing next to Squall's bed instead. Checking his pulse.

His nails had been yellowed too.

Wordlessly and lost in thought, Brenna replaced Laguna's hand on the bed and turned to leave the room. "Hey!" Kiros called after her. "What's going on?"

"I have work to do," she called back over her shoulder as she headed purposefully and rapidly toward her office.

For the first time in nearly 48 hours, she had an idea.


	16. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: And, as an added bonus, I've gotten another chapter done! I really hope you're all enjoying reading this one as much as I'm enjoying writing it. _

_And, yes, this chapter should shed a little light on what's going on. _

Chapter 14

"Did she give you any clue at all about what she found?" Kylah asked Kiros, Ward, and Ellone as they hurried through the palace hallways to the hospital wing.

"…"

"Nope, not a clue," Kiros replied for both he and Ward. "She just said that she needed to see us, pronto."

More than twelve long hours had passed since Brenna had bolted out of Laguna's room, leaving Kiros both mystified and anxious. In those twelve hours, she had largely kept herself locked in her office, occasionally moving to the lab for short periods of time. Any attempt to speak with her had been distractedly waved off. No one had any idea what, exactly, she had been working on. All anyone knew was that it had consumed her for the entire night.

"What are you doing here?" Kylah suddenly spoke up as they caught up with Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis at the entrance to the hospital wing.

Irvine glanced at his companions and then back at Kylah, confusion written on his face. "You didn't call for us?"

She glanced at Kiros briefly, and then shook her head. "No," she replied. "Did Brenna say that you needed to be here?"

Selphie nodded vigorously. "She sounded kinda upset and tense," she said. "We assumed that _you_ called for us, but I guess she must have."

That Brenna had called for the four of them – four trained members of SeeD – unnerved Kylah even more than she already was. With a brief nod of the head, she pushed into the hospital wing and made a beeline for Brenna's office, the others hot on her heels.

When they opened the door to her office, they found her inside. She was seated at her desk, calm and quiet. Her elbows rested on the desk, and her chin rested on her thumbs, while her index fingers pointed upwards along her lips in deep contemplation. The expression on her face was a curious mixture of frustration, anger, and thoughtfulness as she gazed at her computer screen.

Irvine was the first to dare to enter the room. "You look like you could kill someone," he observed as he strode casually into the room and plopped down on a chair.

Brenna didn't change positions at all, but raised an eyebrow and lifted her gaze from the computer screen to Irvine's face. "I might," she replied, her voice stony. Anger was evident deep within the tone. "I'm just not yet sure who."

Glances were exchanged between the rest of he group as they slipped into the room. Quietly, they all took seats around the room as Brenna slid out of her desk chair and moved to lean against the front of her desk. Once everyone had settled and was looking at her expectantly, she turned her computer monitor around so that they could see what she was looking at.

Selphie leaned forward in her seat and squinted at the three pictures that appeared on the screen. "Jell-o?" she asked, quizzically.

Brenna managed a half-smile. "Not quite," she replied. She pointed to each of the pictures in turn. "Cassidy," she said, pointing to the first one. "Squall, and Laguna," she said, adding the other two in succession.

Kylah's eyes widened. "They're related?" she asked. "But the symptoms are so different…"

"I know," Brenna confirmed. "That threw me at first too. It didn't click until last night when I noticed that Laguna's nails had a yellowish tint. Earlier in the day, I had seen the same phenomenon in Squall's nails when I checked his pulse, but it didn't click until I saw it, too, in Laguna. I checked Cassidy, and while it was fainter, the yellow was most certainly there."

"What does it mean?" Ellone asked from her position next to Zell on a sofa.

"Yellowing of the nails can mean a couple of things, but it gave me a place to start," she began. "And, of all things, in Cassidy I was able to find this. Once I located the problem in her system, I looked for variations of it in Squall and Laguna, and this is what I found."

"So, what is it?" Zell asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"It's a poison," Brenna replied. She clicked a button on her computer and the screen changed. "This is from a sample of my own blood," she said. "The same toxin is in my system, but for me it's completely harmless." She paused and took a deep breath. "This particular poison has been bio-chemically engineered to interact only with Laguna's DNA."

Dead silence filled the room.

"If you're going to kill someone," Quistis finally dared to speak up, "that's a heck of a way to do it."

"That's an understatement," Brenna replied. "The poison works by attacking each of the body's major organ systems in sequence until the body eventually shuts down. It started with Laguna's nervous system, and from there moved to the respiratory system." Once again, she paused. "It affects Squall and Cassidy in varying ways because their DNA isn't completely consistent with Laguna's. They share sections of the DNA strand, but not the entire strand. For them, it started with the digestive and intestinal system. And, there's a good possibility that it would never get beyond that because of the variations in the DNA strand."

"Brenna," Irvine spoke up, "what are the odds of this being a naturally occurring phenomenon?"

"There is no chance that it would occur in nature," she replied without hesitation. "Because of the way it was designed, I have to conclude that Squall and Cassidy were only unfortunate casualties of a directed attack. And…" she hesitated, her gaze shifting to Kylah, Kiros, and Ward. "It would have had to have been someone who had access to samples of Laguna's DNA, and knew Estharian medical technology inside out. They knew what they were doing, and designed this to fly under the radar, so to speak, of all of the preliminary techniques that would have been used to diagnose the problem."

"Doctor," Kylah said, her voice changed to the crisp, business-like tone she used when she was in an official capacity, "are you saying that someone has made an attempt on the president's life?"

Brenna could see the anger simmering below the surface of Kylah's eyes. She could relate to it, as that same anger boiled within her own blood. "That's exactly what I'm saying, minister," she replied. The two women held one another's gaze for a long, silent moment. In that moment, they understood one another completely. On the surface, they were employees investigating an attack on their employer. But this was personal. This was an attack on the men that they loved, and each one of them understood perfectly that only the other could comprehend the anger, hurt, and helplessness that they felt.

After a moment, Brenna returned her attention to the entire room. "The worst part of this is that whoever did this may just succeed." For the first time, her professional veneer began to crumble. The exhaustion and defeat that she felt began to slip into her posture, and vulnerability crept into her eyes. "This is a very complex and sophisticated poison. It will take me days to completely break down the composition of it and begin to formulate and anti-toxin." She swallowed hard. "It's impossible to predict how this will continue to affect Squall and Cassidy, but it doesn't seem to be getting worse for them, really. As long as we keep them pumped with fluids, they should be fine while I construct an anti-toxin. But Laguna…" her voice broke, and she cleared it, fighting to maintain that cool, professional composure. "I'll be working against the clock. I don't think he would have the luxury of days while I figure this out."

Ellone looked positively shell-shocked. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Brenna in horror. Zell glanced briefly at her, and then slipped a protective arm around her shoulders.

Kylah took a deep, steadying breath and then glanced at Quistis. "I suppose you know that you're officially on the job now," she said. "I'll want to hire you to find whoever did this."

"Absolutely," Quistis replied without hesitation. Her voice was hard and angry. This wouldn't be just another assignment for them. This time, it was some of their own. They _would_ find the individual responsible and bring them to justice.

"There's something else that needs to be considered," Brenna spoke up, delicately. "Someone else that may be impacted by this…" her voice trailed off and her eyes rested pointedly on Kylah.

The redhead gazed at her quizzically for several moments. Realization suddenly dawned, however, and she grew pale. Slowly, she slipped her arms up to wrap protectively around her belly.

"Kylah," Brenna added gently, "I'll need to run some tests on you…"

* * *

"This really shouldn't take long," Brenna said a little while later. "Just relax."

"Easy for you to say," Kylah replied. She settled back against the ultrasound table and watched as Brenna took a seat. The redhead arched a brow and regarded the machine next to her curiously. "I thought that this thing was designed so that it couldn't be detected by normal tests."

"Now that I know what I'm looking for," Brenna replied, "I recalibrated the machine to pick up the poison. If the baby has been affected, I'll know in just a moment."

With Kylah'a bare belly exposed, Brenna carefully lay a scanner across the bulge. A moment later, and image appeared on her screen, and she began to carefully scrutinize it. As she tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she paused long enough to flash Kylah a grin. "It looks like this one is getting anxious to come out," she said, trying her best to alleviate some of Kylah's tension. "Already in position for birth."

Through her fears and concerns, Kylah managed to smile back. "Good," she replied. "I hope he or she is as anxious to get this over with as I am."

Brenna laughed as she continued to study the screen. Gradually, the smile faded from her expression and her face grew thoughtful. "Interesting," she murmured. She moved the scanner over slightly, and her eyebrow rose. "Very interesting."

"What?" Kylah asked. A bubble of fear began to creep up and threatened to overwhelm her.

Brenna looked away from the screen. "There are traces of the poison in your system," she explained, "but absolutely none in the baby's. Your little one is fine."

Kylah blinked several times and stared blankly at her. "How is that possible?"

"Sometimes," Brenna began slowly, her mind whirling with possibilities, "when a toxin or poison is introduced to the mother's body, the placenta acts as a filter and protects the baby from it." She fell silent for a moment, and Kylah could see the gears in her mind working. "I'd like to take a tissue sample from your placenta," she finally announced.

"Is that safe?" Kylah asked, warily.

"The most that would happen is that it would cause you to go into labor," Brenna replied with a smile.

Kylah thought that over for a moment, and a wicked smile spread over her lips. "I'm really not seeing the downside to that," she said. "Unless there's something you're not telling me."

"At this point in the game, the baby is fully developed and at a very healthy birth weight. If you want my honest thoughts," she added, patting Kylah's expanded tummy, "while it's still a little earlier than your due date, you're going to go into labor any day now anyway."

"Let's do it," Kylah immediately replied. She rubbed her tummy affectionately. "Well, little one," she said, "it looks like you and I might get to save the day."

* * *

"Well, what did she find out?" Selphie practically tackled Kylah as she exited the exam room a little while later.

Kylah looked momentarily startled to find the waiting room of the hospital wing filled with her friends, concerned expressions on all of their faces. Their concern touched her. She swallowed hard and smiled. "The baby is completely unaffected," she replied, grinning. "And, as an added bonus, Brenna thinks that she have just found a way to counter-act the poison in Squall, Cass, and Laguna," she added.

"Really?" Irvine spoke up, his eyebrows nearly disappearing beneath his hat.

"How?" Zell questioned as he lounged comfortably in a nearby chair.

"My body is acting as a filter against the poison to protect the baby from it," Kylah explained. "Brenna believes that my body is creating an antitoxin to neutralize it before it can get to the baby. If that's the case, she can use that natural antitoxin as a basis to synthesize one that would help the other three."

"That's brilliant," Quistis said, shaking her head in amazement.

"It's a long-shot," Kylah warned, "and there's no guarantee that it'll work. But, it's the best shot that she has right now of saving Laguna."

"Then let's hope it does work," spoke up Kiros from the doorway. Kylah could see the strain of anxiety edging his face.

"Yeah," Kylah agreed, a thoughtful expression on her face. "This must be very difficult for Brenna," she observed as she awkwardly lowered herself into a chair. "She looks determined, but at the same time frustrated."

"It's her job to heal," Quistis replied, insightfully. "She stands a very good chance of not being able to do that this time, and if she fails…"

"It not only means failure at her job," Irvine mused, "but losing someone that she obviously really cares about." Briefly, he glanced at Selphie and tried to imagine being in Brenna's shoes.

"Sir Laguna just _can't_ die!" Selphie wailed. Next to her, Irvine tensed as he always did when Selphie used her special nickname for Laguna. He grunted, sighed, and looked away.

"Brenna will pull him through," Ellone said, quietly. "We just need to have faith and confidence in her." _And pray to Hyne she doesn't fail…

* * *

_

Hours later, Brenna exited the lab with three syringes in her hand. Exhausted but satisfied, she glanced triumphantly at the syringes and headed toward the patient rooms nearby. A glance at her watch revealed that it was three in the morning. Only a skeleton crew was in the hospital wing at this time of night, so no one was around to share in Brenna's success. Still, she would not let that deter her.

She had no guarantee that the antitoxin that she had developed from the tissue samples that she'd taken from Kylah would work. All lab tests indicated that they would. In every case, the antitoxin had completely neutralized and disintegrated the poison, whether the sample had come from Laguna, Squall, or Cassidy. But she had to recognize that just because something worked in the lab didn't mean it would work outside of it. There was a strong possibility that this would fail, and she'd be back to square one.

But this was a chance, and at this point the only chance she had. Determined, she pushed open the door to the first room. Cassidy Leonhart was sprawled across her bed, covers kicked off, and sound asleep. Brenna smiled softly, and tugged a blanket up over the sleeping girl. She then uncapped the smallest of the syringes, gently lifted Cassidy's limp arm, and slipped the needle into the IV site on her hand. The girl stirred slightly in discomfort, but didn't waken. When she had finished, Brenna smoothed Cass's hair, tossed the syringe into a nearby disposal bin designated for that purpose, and slipped quietly from the room.

She next entered Squall's room. Once again he was curled on his side, and like his daughter he had kicked off his blankets. Like father, like daughter, she mused. The difference was that Squall was shaking violently with feverish chills. She pulled a blanket up over his shoulders, too, and just as with Cassidy, she inserted the syringe into his hand.

This time, however, her patient stirred awake. Squall opened one eye and gazed up at her. "What're you doing?" he murmured, around chattering teeth.

Brenna smiled down at him. "This is an antitoxin," she said, softly. "Has Kylah told you what's going on?"

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, poison," he responded.

"This should help, then," she responded, pushing down on the plunger to inject the antitoxin. She felt Squall clench in discomfort as the medicine entered his body. "Just relax," she murmured soothingly. "Almost done." When the medicine was finally injected, she withdrew the needle, tossed the syringe away and gently patted his shoulder, almost maternally.

"Cass and Laguna?" Squall asked.

"I've already given Cassidy a dose, and I'm on my way to Laguna now," she responded, her voice still low and soothing. "Get some sleep, Squall," she added. "It's the best thing for you right now. Doctor's orders."

He nodded slightly, and let his eyes drift shut once more. Almost as quietly as she'd entered, Brenna slipped from the room.

Which left only Laguna. With the final syringe in hand, Brenna quietly entered his room and approached the bed.

The very sight of him nearly shattered her. He was pale, and looked incredibly fragile and much older lying against the stark white sheets. She gently smoothed his hair back away from his forehead, but he didn't stir under her touch. Biting her lower lip, she sighed softly and lifted his hand.

Laguna didn't stir or show any signs of life when she slipped the needle in and pressed the plunger down to inject the medicine. As she administered the antitoxin, she said a quick, silent prayer that this worked. "I don't want to lose you, Laguna Loire," she murmured softly, a small catch in her voice. "So you'd better respond to this."

Once the antitoxin had been administered and the syringe tossed away, there was nothing left for Brenna to do but wait. The next few hours would tell her if she had been successful or not. While she knew she should stay awake and keep a careful eye on her patients to see how they responded, she had to recognize that she was completely exhausted. One way or another, she must get some sleep.

Her nurses would be alerted if there was a problem, and they could then let her know. Briefly, she considered going down the hall and collapsing on the couch in her office, but she just couldn't tear her gaze away from Laguna's face.

Finally, after a moment of debate, she gave in and allowed herself a comfort that she hadn't given into in the entire nearly seventy-two hours before. She slid Laguna over in his bed just a little, and carefully climbed in next to him. Once she was settled, she gently drew him close to her, and held him as tightly as she could manage without disturbing the tubes and lines that fed into him and sustained him.

She snuggled comfortably into the bed and buried her face into the thick, dark strands on his head. "I love you, Laguna," she murmured. A tear slipped down her cheeks. Through the entire ordeal, she had maintained her calm, cool, professional exterior. She had forced herself to focus on being a doctor trying to heal her patients. And now, for the first time, she let herself be a woman terrified of losing someone that she held very dear to her heart. The tears came swiftly, suddenly, and overwhelmingly until she finally lay still. And then – still holding onto Laguna as if his very life depended on it – Brenna finally allowed exhaustion to overtake her. In the semi-darkness of the room, with the beep and hum of medical machines swirling all around her, she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	17. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: And a little fluff before we get into the thick of "whodunit." The perpetrator (or perpetrators?) behind the entire fiasco surprise even me. I'm going to have a blast writing this. _

_Bebedora, Malefactior, and r: I want to give a special shout out and thanks to each one of you. It's really your reviews that keep me going. I love the feedback, and enjoy writing the story for you! Your comments, thoughts, and speculations make the entire experience that much better for me. So, thanks, and I really hope you're all enjoying! _

Chapter 15

"Brenna," a soft voice whispered.

The blonde stirred lightly, but didn't wake up.

"Brenna," the voice continued, more urgently this time. Still she didn't wake up.

"Brenna!"

Abruptly, her eyes flew open and she looked wildly around the room in confusion. She relaxed a bit when she realized that she was still in the hospital room, and that it was Kylah who was quietly trying to wake her.

"What's going on?" she asked, blinking her eyes and trying to clear her head.

Kylah grinned broadly. "The antitoxin seems to be working," she replied, softly. "Cass's fever has returned to normal, and Squall is feeling much better. He's actually able to keep some juice down."

"That's great," Brenna said, smiling sleepily. She glanced down at the man next to her on the bed. For the first time in days, a slight flush of color had appeared in Laguna's cheeks. His breathing was easier, and she took note that he was no longer trapped in the still, silent world of unconsciousness, but a deep, natural sleep of a body that desperately needed rest and healing. Some time in the night he had snuggled closer to her and thrown an arm over her side. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, and was relieved to discover that his fever was down.

"I guess it is working," she replied, grinning. Gently, she disentangled herself from Laguna and slipped out of the bed. A glance at the monitor screen revealed that Laguna was, in fact, much more stable than he had been the night before. He would still have quite a recovery ahead of him, but she would take recovery time any day over what could have happened.

"What time is it?" she asked, glancing at her wrist watch. Nine-thirty. She'd been asleep for more than six hours. Brenna stretched lazily, smiled, and bent down to rub Kylah's belly and speak to the child within. "Thanks, kiddo," she said. "Couldn't have done it without you."

Kylah laughed. "I imagine that you would have figured it out on your own," she replied. "But I'm glad we could be of help."

The two women left Laguna to sleep, exited the room, and then entered Cassidy's room next door. They found her sitting up in her bed and picking at a small plate of crackers brought by one of the nurses. "Crackers for breakfast?" she complained. "This is gross…"

Brenna chuckled as she glanced over Cassidy's chart. "And good morning to you too, Miss Leonhart," she replied. She glanced up from the chart. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better," Cass answered, grinning. "I still feel a little yucky, but I don't think I'm gonna toss my cookies."

"Well, that's an improvement at least," Brenna laughed. She gave the child a quick exam, and asked a few questions about her condition. Brenna was relieved to find that Cassidy's appetite was rapidly returning. She left Cass with the promise that she could try some gelatin next, and if that worked out perhaps some clear broth for lunch.

Kylah accompanied Brenna as she exited the room and walked down the hall to push Squall's door open. He was still pale and his eyes were shadowed, but he was sitting up in his bed and tentatively taking sips of juice from a glass.

"How's that staying down?" she asked him, flipping open his chart.

"I'm not sure yet," he replied, eyeing the glass suspiciously.

"Don't push yourself," she cautioned, setting down the chart and launching into an exam. As she checked his pulse, she glanced at Kylah. "How long do you think we can keep him in bed?"

His wife snorted. "Two days, max," she responded, ignoring the glare that he shot her. "Then he'll be chomping at the bit to get back to work."

"Really…" Brenna replied. She lifted a brow and offered Squall a challenging look. "We'll see how that goes." She snapped the chart closed. "Keep on the juice for a while longer," she said to him, "and we'll see how that's going in a little while." She glanced down at the surgical scrubs that she still wore. "I'm going to go grab a shower." Casting the two of them one final smile, she pulled open the door and slipped out.

"She's in a good mood," Squall observed once she had left. Cautiously, he returned his cup to the table next to his bed. Moving quickly still made his head spin. "Laguna must have responded to the anti-toxin too?"

Kylah nodded, lacing her fingers through his. "He did, but he's still sleeping. Probably the best thing for him under the circumstances." She paused and looked down at their linked hands. "I know that you'll want to go see him later," she began, "so I should warn you. He was a lot worse off than either you or Cass was." She had kept Squall as sheltered from Laguna's condition as she could manage, not wanting to worry him even more than he already was.

His brow furrowed. "How bad?"

Her troubled eyes lifted to meet his. "If that anti-toxin hadn't worked," she said, "Brenna wasn't sure that she wasn't going to lose him."

Squall swore under his breath and leaned his head back against the pillow to stare at the ceiling. He remained silent for several long moments, his expression unreadable. "What have you done so far to track down whoever did this?"

"I've used the presidential authority that has been given to me temporarily to authorize the hiring of four SeeD personnel to investigate the situation," she replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"And what have Irvine, Quistis, Selphie and Zell turned up so far?" he asked, knowingly.

"They were putting their heads together to try and figure something out this afternoon," she replied, "but they've all said that they need to pick Brenna's brain a bit more in order to really get the information that they need. And they really didn't want to bother her until this entire mess was resolved."

"I can't blame them for that."

Kylah studied her husband's troubled face. "You want in on this, don't you." It was a statement, not a question.

"You have no idea how badly," he replied, his gaze fixated on the ceiling. Slowly, he turned his head toward her. "It was different two years ago when the attempt was on my life. I'm trained to handle myself. But dammit, this time it was my dad and my children. I'll be damned if I'm going to sit by and do nothing after this one."

_His dad…_ Squall always referred to Laguna either by his name, or occasionally called him his father. Never had she heard him call him his dad. She only wished that Laguna himself were there to hear it, and the emotion in his voice when he said it. "Well," she said carefully. "First you'll have to get by Brenna. And I don't think she's going to let you go too easily. At least not until you can walk across the floor without upchucking."

He sighed, frustrated. "She might get her two days, then," he said, fighting off a lingering wave of nausea. Slowly, he opened one eye and looked at her. "This is a switch," he finally said, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"A switch?" she asked, quizzically.

"Yeah," he replied. "Nine months ago, you were the one trying not to puke."

* * *

Refreshed and revitalized, Brenna re-entered the hospital wing an hour later. She had showered and changed into fresh clothing. The sleep she had gotten had done her a world of good, and she was now ready to tackle her day. There were still a thousand and one things that she needed to get done, starting with an in-depth analysis of the chemical makeup of the poison that had nearly taken Laguna's life. Her mind was whirling as she tried to organize her thoughts and put together some sort of semblance of a to-do list for the day.

"Dr. Cormac?" Nurse Bingham interrupted her thoughts. She paused in mid-stride and turned to look at the woman. "I think that the president is beginning to come around."

"Fantastic!" Brenna replied, unable to hide the light that came to her eyes. She immediately changed course and headed toward his room. Quietly, she entered the room the nurse following close behind.

Nurse Bingham noticed the tender look in Brenna's eyes as she approached the bed. The gossip mill in the palace portrayed Dr. Cormac as a gold digger after Laguna for his power and position. But that look… It was all she needed to see to know that Brenna Cormac truly cared for their president. Her mind was now truly at ease.

Just as had been described, Laguna was struggling through the layers of sleep and back to consciousness. Brenna gently took his hand in hers and rubbed the back of it soothingly, encouraging him to come back to them. Her face lit up in a tender smile when his green eyes slid open, and then blinked against the bright, harsh light.

"Hi," she murmured, softly.

He started to reply, and then frowned against the oxygen mask that still covered most of his face. Brenna chuckled and gently removed it, smoothing his hair away from his face as she moved it.

Laguna swallowed. Hyne, his throat was on fire. "H-how long have I been out?" he managed to rasp, and then grimaced. He sounded like he'd been gargling with razor blades.

"Three days," she replied, gently running her fingers through his thick, dark hair.

He sighed. That felt amazing. "What happened?" he asked.

"It's a very long story," Brenna replied. "And I'll be sure to tell you the whole thing when you're strong enough to handle it." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You gave us all quite a scare, Loire."

"I think I scared myself," was his gravelly reply. He looked over at her. "But you're here."

A slow smile spread over her lips. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."

* * *

It was the next morning before Squall made it over to see his father. Laguna had slept the biggest part of the day away, his battered body desperately craving the down time to give itself time to recover. And so, it was the next day that Squall carefully made his way down the corridor and to his father's room.

He was proud of himself when he reached the door. He only had to stop once to make the hallway cease its rapid spinning.

The door was pushed open quietly so not to disturb Laguna if he was still sleeping. Squall did find him laying peacefully, his eyes closed. Briefly, he hesitated in the doorway and wondered if he should wait…

"I'm awake," Laguna spoke up, his voice just as raspy as it had been the day before. Man, he hated the way he sounded at that moment. Brenna assured him that it was just a touch of laryngitis that accompanied the respiratory problems that he had developed, but he was beginning to have his doubts. He opened his eyes, pleased to see his son standing in the doorway. A puzzled look crossed his tired face. "You look like crap."

Squall entered the room and sat heavily in a chair next to the bed. "Hello, kettle? This is the pot. You're black," he replied.

Laguna only grunted. "You been sick too?" he asked.

His son's eyes flickered briefly. _So, they've kept him out of the loop_, he mused to himself. "Yeah, Cass and I both were," he admitted. _Sorry, Brenna._

Concern fell over Laguna's features. "Both of you?"

Squall hesitated. "Yeah," he replied. He knew that there was no way he could keep Laguna out of the loop at this point, and so he filled his father in on the details of what, exactly, had happened in the last four days.

When Squall was finished, Laguna sighed heavily, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back on the bed. "I hate my job sometimes," he mused. "What else did I miss while I was out?"

"Kiros gave Kylah temporary presidential power until Brenna releases you to go back to work," Squall replied, carefully watching for Laguna's reaction.

Laguna's brow furrowed and he looked at the younger man. "Was I really that bad off?" he rasped.

"You scared Brenna pretty badly," Squall answered, softly. "You scared everyone, I think. Hell, you shook me up pretty well, too."

"I didn't know you were the shakable kind," Laguna joked, his laugh fading into a deep-chested cough.

"I can be shaken," Squall replied, quietly. "If it matters enough."

Laguna's laughter faded, and he stared at Squall as if he'd suddenly grown a second head. "Huh?"

Squall sighed. He suddenly had the urge to pace the room as Kylah did when she was agitated, but knew that there was no way he could manage it without taking a risk of losing his lunch. Instead, he tapped out his nervous energy on the arm of the chair. "Look," he began, enormously uncomfortable with what he was about to say, "I know I've kept you at arm's length for the last two years, and maybe I felt like I was justified at the time. But this whole mess has made me realize that I've cheated us both by doing that." He sighed. "If Brenna hadn't been here and worked as fast and as hard as she did, you might not be here right now, and I would have lost the chance to… Well to say…"

"To say…" Laguna encouraged. He was almost afraid to dare to hope.

Squall took a deep breath. "That I—" he stopped. "I—" _Dammit, this is hard…_ "That I love you, Dad," he finally forced out, softly.

For several moments, Laguna couldn't move or speak. He was truly afraid to, for fear that the words would be taken back. Finally, he swallowed hard and clutched at composure. "I know my birthday was a week ago," he rasped softly, "but that was still the best birthday present I could have ever gotten. Thank you, Squall. And I love you too, son." He paused, and his face broke out in a huge grin. "Would you say it again?"

Squall groaned. "Now don't get mushy on me," he grumbled.


	18. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: I should have done this a looooong time ago. I recently re-read this story and the one before it, and I got the urge to finish it. I know it's been a while, but life happened – I finished college, a master's degree, and had a baby. But in the back of my mind was always this unfinished story. And so, here we go!_

Chapter 16

Cassidy was released to return home and to her mother's care the very next day, much to the relief and jubilation of the child. Her father, Squall, was sprung the day after, though under strict orders to take it easy and stay home from work for another few days. Hearing that his son and granddaughter had been released created in Laguna an anxiousness to leave the hospital wing and for things to return to normal as soon as possible.

A sure sign that he was on the road to recovery, so far as Brenna was concerned, was his increasing agitation and dissatisfaction with his incarceration, as he called it, under the care of Brenna and her nurses. He complained. He grumbled. He was too hot; too cold; the food was lousy; there was nothing on TV. Finally, four days after he had regained consciousness, even Brenna had to concede that while he still needed rest and recovery time, he would be happier and rest better in his own bed.

Brenna, Kylah, Kiros, and Ward, however, had ganged up on him. His freedom came with conditions – he was to stay in his apartment, rest as much as possible, and Kylah would retain presidential power until Brenna decided that he was well enough to resume his duties. While he initially chafed under the restrictions, in the end he admitted that he still felt pretty lousy and could use a little more time to recover.

The doctor herself assisted him to his apartment, chuckling when he sighed with relief the moment he stepped through the door. "Now this," he said, dropping onto his couch, "is more like it."

Brenna chuckled and sank down next to him. He was still hoarse, and still tired easily. But the sparkle was back in his green eyes, and he had more color back in his cheeks. She leaned over and kissed his forehead gently, and ran her fingers through his hair. "Remember," she cautioned, "you still have to take it easy. You've—"

"'—Been through an ordeal, and need time to recover,'" he mimicked, grimacing. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll lounge here on the couch and do nothing… for a couple of days at least," he added with a smirk. Her chastising expression brought a chuckle to his lips. "I'll behave myself," he promised. "… But if I'm going to be stuck here, you'll have to wait on me. Hand and foot."

She snorted in response. "All those years in school and training to be your indentured servant," she groused teasingly. In mock-seriousness, she gazed into his eyes. "All powerful president, what is thy first request?"

"A shower," he replied instantly. "Not a sponge bath – an honest-to-Hyne shower."

Brenna raised a brow. "Stereotypically, I thought men loved sponge baths," she said, dryly.

Laguna grinned wryly. "Nurse Bingham is a wonderful woman – but she is a sixty-three-year-old grandmother of three. Now, if you wanted to give me a sponge bath…" he trailed off, smirking.

Her smirk matched his. "Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to anything about it afterwards," she countered.

"Hey!" he protested. "I'll have you know that I have the stamina of a thirty-year-old! I –" he was abruptly cut off of his tirade as a coughing fit overtook him, and he sank back against the couch. "… Maybe you're right," he admitted sheepishly as he gained control of it.

Brenna laughed and stood, holding out a hand to help him up. "Come on," she said. "I imagine that you'll feel and rest better after you've gotten cleaned up."

Gratefully, he took her hand and allowed her to pull him to a standing position. He wavered for a brief moment, but quickly regained his balance. "Thanks," he said, kissing her briefly as he headed towards his shower. She shook her head as she watched his still unsteady footsteps and finally gave up and followed him in.

"I think," she said, gently, "that you may need some help…"

With a sigh, Laguna sat down on the edge of the tub. "I think…" he began slowly, "that you may be right. It would kinda suck to end up back in the hospital wing because I split my head open when I passed out in the shower," he admitted ruefully.

She chuckled. "Not to mention undignified and unpresidential," she replied. "Imagine the upheaval when the press caught wind of that one." She cast a glance at the shower as he laughed at her comment. Thoughtfully, she turned back to him and gazed at the oversized tub on which he was perched. "I have a better idea," she said firmly. Reaching behind him, she turned on the taps and plugged the tub as hot water began to fill it.

Laguna turned to gaze into the water. "… That probably would be easier," he said, sounding surprised. Why hadn't he thought of that? "Huh. I've lived in this apartment for two decades, and I don't think I've ever used this thing before."

"Never?" Brenna asked. She added a handful of a floral scented bubble bath that she had brought days ago from her own apartment.

He shook his head as he peeled off his shirt. "Soaking in a tub at the end of a long day is a girl thing," he pointed out. "Men are more likely to drown their sorrows in a violent sport or a six-pack of beer." He paused a moment, thoughtful. "Sometimes both."

She shook her head, tested the temperature of the water, and turned off the taps. "Enjoy," she said, gesturing towards the full tub.

A bit self-consciously, Laguna finished stripping and slid awkwardly down into the water. For a moment he sat stiffly, looking around at the suds that surrounded him. He glanced quizzically up at Brenna, blowing his hair out of his eyes. "What's this stuff for?" he asked.

Brenna fought a grin. "It's to aid in relaxation," she replied, folding her arms over her chest.

The skeptical look on Laguna's face spoke volumes about how well he felt they would help, but in the end he decided to humor her. Gamely, he swept up a pile of suds in his hand and began molding it into large, fluffy shapes in the water.

This time Brenna laughed. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making a replica of the presidential palace," he replied defensively.

"You're supposed to enjoy the bubbles," she retorted, mirth still evident in her voice.

"I _am _enjoying the damn bubbles!"

"How about this?" Brenna laughed, she stepped out of her shoes and without preamble peeled her own shirt up over her head.

Laguna's eyes widened. "W-What are you doing?" he asked, hesitantly.

In a moment she, too, had stripped and slipped into the other end of the tub, facing him. "Joining you," she replied. "I thought this might help you… enjoy the damn bubbles even more."

A self-depreciating smirk spread over his lips. "I thought we had already established that even if I did 'enjoy' the damn bubbles, I wouldn't be up to doing anything about it tonight?"

"Hush," Brenna replied. She reached for a washcloth, soaped it up, and gently began running the sudsy cloth over his chest. "Now, about that sponge bath…"

Laguna simply melted under her expert hands. Rather than exciting, the bath was relaxing. Brenna gently massaged and cleaned every square inch of him, and each muscle in his body went limp under her tender touch. He was startled when she then slid behind him, cradling him against her as she gently shaved several days of stubble from his cheek. But when she lathered up his hair, massaging his scalp as she scrubbed the strands clean, he slowly became a mass of presidential goo in her arms.

A short while later, when they were both pajama-clad he sank down into his clean sheets and sighed contentedly. "Sooooo much better than that hospital bed," he said happily.

Brenna stretched out next to him and in an instant he had rolled over and snuggled into her arms. "How are you feeling?" she asked, smoothing his hair off of his cheek.

"Like hell," he admitted. "I guess I expected that once you gave me the antidote I'd be alright. But I still feel like I went three rounds with Quezacotl."

"Once an illness takes over, your systems don't instantly turn off just because medicine has been introduced. It will take a while," she replied. "You'll be fine in a week or so."

"A week," he moaned. "Cooped up for a week." He grew quiet for a moment, his cheek resting on her chest. "… Be honest with me, Bren," he said. "How bad was it?"

"If I hadn't gotten the antitoxin when I did –"

"You've said that," he cut her off. He lifted his head to look at her. "But I have to know… how close was it?"

Brenna bit her lip as she gazed into the green eyes that were so dear to her. "… Five or six hours, maybe," she admitted. "It was damn close, Laguna. Too close."

He closed his eyes and shuddered, resting his cheek on her chest once again. She allowed him a moment to contemplate the revelation, running her fingers up and down his back idly. "… You can't keep me cooped up for a week," he finally said. "I need to get out of here."

"Laguna…" she replied. "It's not worth it to compromise your health just because you have cabin fever."

"No, listen," he retorted, his head popping up once more. "It's not about that." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "… I've faced my own mortality before. I once fell off a cliff on Centra – it was six months before I even got out of bed. I've fought ruby dragons, Estharian soldiers, a crazy bitch of a sorceress and a psychopath that was out to kill Squall and dragged the entire Galbadian army with him to do it. I'm not so much worried about myself."

He sat up, eyes blazing. "But dammit, this guy – whoever he is – he got my son and my granddaughter. What if you hadn't found an antitoxin, Bren? What if something had happened to Squall and Cass?" His voice went higher with each word, his breath now coming in short gasps. "Hyne forbid, what if something had happened to the baby that Kylah is carrying? They could have been hurt because of _me_! I can't—"

His tirade abruptly ended when his emotions overcame his body's ability to contain them, and he doubled over in a coughing fit. Brenna reached for a glass of water on the nightstand and, pulling Laguna up, she brought the glass to his lips. "Drink this," she ordered. "And relax."

Obediently, he took a sip of the water which helped to control the coughing fit. "I can't sit here and do nothing while whoever did this is still out there," he finally managed to rasp.

"Okay, I understand that," Brenna said evenly. "But you need to rest and let your body recuperate. If you don't stay calm, Laguna, I will have to put you back into the hospital wing."

Sighing, he sank tiredly back against the pillows.

"Now," she said softly. "I released Squall to return to work today. He has put all other projects aside for the moment and is focusing completely on this investigation. He has Irvine, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, and to some degree even Kylah, Kiros, and Ward helping him. And I am working myself ragged studying the poison itself to see if it can give us any clues. Laguna, no one is doing nothing. We will find them."

"But – " he protested, trying to sit up.

She firmly pushed him back down. "But nothing," she retorted. "The best thing you can do for yourself and everyone else involved is to recover. If you put yourself back out there before your body is ready, then the only thing you'll accomplish is making Squall, Kylah, and myself all worry and distract us from doing what we need to do."

Laguna rolled his eyes and glanced away. "Squall wouldn't worry. He never worries about anything, especially me."

Brenna arched a brow. "Wallowing in self-pity isn't very becoming," she replied. "Maybe Squall isn't the best at expressing how he feels, but he worries." Gently, she cupped his cheek. "When he was in the hospital wing, sicker than he'd ever been in his life and holding a trash can, every time I went in there he asked about your condition. Every single time." She leaned over and gently kissed his forehead. "Squall will pour himself into this investigation. I guarantee it."

Laguna gave her a dry look. "Since when are you an expert on Squall?" he asked.

"I'm not," she replied. "That honor belongs to Kylah – and if you don't stay in that bed and be patient long enough for your body to be able to keep up with your mind and your heart, then I will go down the hall and get her and let _her_ convince you to keep yourself right where you are."

His eyes widened. "… You wouldn't."

"I would," she replied. "And technically, at the moment she outranks you until _I_ deem otherwise. Besides, she's nine months pregnant, swollen, tired, and a bit irritable. Do you really want to go down that path?"

For a moment, he gave it serious consideration. Finally he sighed and pulled the covers up. "Alright, alright," he conceded. "I'll stay put. I just… I hate feeling so helpless and worthless."

She moved over to him, capturing his lips in the first real, deep kiss they had shared since he had fallen ill. "Laguna Loire," she murmured. "You are far from worthless." In his eyes, she saw the raw vulnerability, the fear, the worry, the need to act and to do something – anything – to right what could have gone wrong. And despite his protests that it wasn't about him, she could see the toll that facing his mortality had taken on his already battered emotions.

With a smile, Brenna moved over and swung one leg over to straddle him. Laguna jumped, startled and gaped up at her as she pulled her nightshirt up over her head. "What...? I can't… Brenna!"

"Shhhh..." She whispered and leaned down to kiss him again. When she came up for air, she gazed into his eyes tenderly. "… Sometimes, it's kind of nice to do nothing while someone else takes care of you," she murmured, nuzzling his ear. "Let me show you…"

She did. And he discovered that sometimes doing nothing really wasn't so bad.

* * *

Brenna barely glanced up when a knock sounded on her office door the next day. "Come in," she called distractedly, engrossed in the images and reports on her computer screen.

"Got a minute?" Squall asked, sticking his head in the room.

"Yes, of course," she replied, eyes still focused on the screen.

He entered the room and took the chair across her desk. "Have you had any luck on getting any more information from the poison?" he asked, getting immediately down to the business at hand.

"That's what I'm looking at now," Brenna replied. "I was just reading the final analysis." She frowned, puzzled. "… This doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?" Squall asked, leaning across the desk to peer at the screen. He quickly discovered he was truly out of his element. Not one word of the complex scientific report on her screen made sense to him. He immediately returned to his chair, expression impassive.

The doctor turned from her screen to face him for the first time since he had entered her office. "Every synthetic chemical in the known world has embedded somewhere on it a 5 digit code," she explained. "This code helps identify where it was manufactured." She punched a couple of keys on the computer and pointed to a series of numbers that popped up. "The first number is the country prefix – Squall, this was manufactured by an Estharian lab."

Squall lifted a brow, but his face was otherwise unreadable. "Odine?" he asked, a dangerous undertone in his voice.

Brenna considered it for a moment and then shook her head. "From what I've met of Odine, it doesn't fit," she decided. "He is nothing if not self-serving. Laguna gives him a huge research budget every year and then pretty well leaves him to his own devices. It wouldn't be beneficial to Odine to hurt Laguna, Cassidy, or you."

He nodded in concession. "That makes sense," he replied. "What else does the code tell you?"

"This is where it gets even more confusing," Brenna continued. "According to this, the poison was manufactured in a facility that, as best as I can tell, hasn't been used in years." She glanced at him. "Do you know anything about a deep-sea research station?"

Squall actually registered some surprise. "Enough to know that it's essentially useless," he said. "Most of the equipment is in shambles, and it's overrun by monsters." He leaned forward. "Odine used it years ago to research the Lunatic Pandora, but it's been essentially unused for decades."

"Not entirely unused," Brenna mused. "According to this code, this was manufactured within the last few months."

Squall remained silent for several minutes, and Brenna could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "Alright," he finally said. "I'm going to take Irvine and Zell to the research station and see what's up."

"Let me go with you," she said impulsively.

The SeeD commander arched a brow. "Did I not just say that it's overrun with monsters?" he asked pointedly.

"And did you not just say that you're taking Irvine and Zell?" she countered. "The three of you can deal with the monsters and I can take a look at the equipment that's there and see what's been done. Do any of the three of you really have any idea what most of that equipment does?"

Squall sighed heavily, and rested a hand on one hip as he glanced at the floor in thought. "… Stay out of the way of monsters," he cautioned. "If anything happens to you, Laguna will never forgive me." Abruptly he switched his gaze to meet hers. "… How is Laguna today, anyway?" he asked, hesitantly.

"He was sleeping when I left," Brenna replied, shutting down her computer. "… He had a bit of a rough night. He's upset. He's worried. He feels useless and as though he's not helping the investigation. And he woke up three times with a coughing fit in the middle of the night." She sighed and removed her glasses, rubbing her forehead. "… He's already asking to go back to work."

Squall was silent for a moment. "I can understand that," he finally said. "Laguna is a man of action. When something matters to him, he can't just sit back and do nothing. That's not the way he's wired." Faint pride lingered in his eyes. "The last time something that truly mattered that much to Laguna was threatened, he charged across three continents, past two warring armies, and faced a ruby dragon and a sorceress to save them." He paused. "It will be… difficult for him to sit it out when it matters so much to him."

Brenna regarded him for a moment and then smiled as she picked up her jacket. "You understand your father better than he gives you credit for."

He merely shrugged. "I did inherit a few things from him, you know," he said, a small smile dancing on his lips.

* * *

It didn't take long for Squall to make arrangements for the use of Ragnarok – after all, his wife was the woman in charge for the moment. By the time he and Brenna arrived at the landing pad, Zell was already there. To Squall's surprise, so was Quistis, and she and Zell appeared to be in a hushed argument across the pad.

As they approached, Zell glanced up at them and then hissed back at Quistis. "… I can't talk about this now. Later."

Squall glanced back and forth between the two of them. "Problem?" he asked.

Quistis shot Zell a reproachful glance. "We were just discussing-"

"Triple-Triad club back in Balamb," Zell interjected hurriedly. "You wouldn't believe how competitive some of those people can get!"

While it was obvious that Zell was lying, Squall didn't care enough to dig deeper to find out what the blond was covering up. He trusted his friend enough to know that Zell wouldn't do anything dangerous or illegal. Stupid perhaps. But definitely nothing that Squall would need to intervene in.

He hoped.

Shaking his head, he turned to Quistis. "I thought you were staying behind."

"I am," she replied. "I just wanted to ask Zell if he's planning on dealing out a deck and playing a game tonight." She cast Zell a pointed, chastising glance. Squall could swear he blushed.

"Esthar rules are very different," Brenna interjected hesitantly.

"You have no idea," Zell muttered, glancing briefly at Squall.

Squall stared at him. "Zell, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Quistis snorted. "We've all asked that question many times and have yet to find an answer."

"Hey!" Zell cried defensively.

Squall sighed and rolled his eyes. "Quistis, keep an eye on things here while I'm out," he instructed. "I hate to leave Kylah when she's so close, but I really need to do this. I'd honestly like to take you with us on this run because we could use the extra hand, but… well… I don't think Laguna is up to defending himself from Selphie if she gets any wild ideas about nursing him back to health."

He didn't even hear Irvine coming up behind him. Abruptly the sniper brushed past, his expression tight and irritated. "… Maybe if she did nurse him back to health, she'd finally get 'Sir Laguna' out of her damn system…" the cowboy muttered to himself as he walked up the ramp and into the ship.

Brenna blinked. "Sir… what?"

This time it was Zell's turn to sigh. "Come on, I'll explain it on the ship," he said, guiding the doctor up the ramp.

Squall stared silently at the open door to the ship. Finally he exhaled heavily. Zell's acting weird and Irvine's mad at the world, he thought to himself. Slowly, he turned to Quistis. "Trade me places?" he asked dryly.

She smirked and pushed him towards the ship. "Not on your life, Commander," she replied sweetly.

* * *

The Deep-Sea Research station looked exactly the same as it had nearly a decade before, when he had last been there. From the sky where he sat on the Ragnarok, Squall gazed steadily down at the ground, surveying the research station. "Still looks abandoned," he observed as they began their descent.

Zell stood next to him, shifting restlessly back and forth from one foot to the other. "Dude, you know it's not. I wonder if that elnoyle is still down there…"

"If it is, I call dibs," Irvine called from the pilot's seat. He easily sat them down on the landing deck and swung out of the seat to face the others.

"Alright," Squall said. "Zell, stick close to Brenna. Irvine and I will scout a little ahead and you two will follow. We lead Brenna in to the equipment, she takes a look, and we get out. Quick and easy."

"Quick and easy," Zell smirked, pulling on his gloves. "Like Irvine."

Casually, Irvine sauntered by Zell with Exeter slung carelessly across his shoulder. And, whistling innocently all the way, he smacked the blond in the head with the butt of the rifle as he strolled past.

"Hey, ow!" Zell protested.

Squall ignored them and rolled his eyes, Irvine moving in to flank him as Zell and Brenna followed several feet behind. Carefully they crept into the dank, decrepit research station and began peering around cautiously.

"It's clear," Irvine called back to Zell and Brenna, shouldering his rifle.

Brenna entered the building, allowing her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. Once she was able to make out their surroundings, she found that most of the room was as Squall had predicted – abandoned and untouched for seemingly decades. Carefully she made her way around the room examining for evidence of recent use. At length, she did a double-take at one terminal as she realized that someone had taken great pains to make it only appear to have been unused for some time.

Quickly she squatted in front of it, pressing the power switch and grinning in triumph when the terminal hummed to life. She entered her central access code and found that the terminal was no longer tied to the Esthar central hub. Frowning, she pecked around a few moments on the computer, soon discovering that whoever had been using it hadn't been too concerned about security after all. All the information that the terminal held was wide open to her.

Zell wrinkled his nose as he began to shadow-box behind her. "What's that funky smell?" he asked.

"Patchouli," Brenna responded thoughtlessly, her mind already absorbed in the screen in front of her.

"Did you find anything?" Irvine asked over his shoulder as he continued to survey the room, keeping an eye out for anything that might jump out at him from the dark.

"This was accessed recently," she mused distractedly. "… Less than a week ago." Her eyes widened slightly as she read the screen. "… Another set of DNA was added to the data already in the computer." She tapped a few more keys. "... And another chemical was manufactured based off of it."

"Whose?" Squall asked, instantly at her shoulder.

She slowly turned to him as she pointed to the name on the screen.

Kylah Deraldi-Leonhart.

Brenna could swear that she saw lightning flash in Squall's eyes as the rage slowly entered his expression. "Save the data and let's get out of here," he barked harshly. "Back to Esthar. Now."


	19. Chapter 17

_Author's Note: I'm finding that I can't write nearly as fast as I used to. What I was once able to write in a night now takes me several days. I'm plodding along, though, and enjoying working again._

**Chapter 17**

Squall wasted no time once the Ragnarok had landed in Esthar. He made his way rapidly through the corridors of the Presidential palace and directly to the door of his wife's office. Brenna, Irvine, and Zell were hot on his heels as he impatiently waited for the door to slide open…

… And found Kylah calmly seated at her desk, going over a report with Kiros.

She lifted her gaze to her husband and arched a brow quizzically. "Can I help you?" she asked curiously.

"Are you okay?" Squall asked. He crossed to her desk and pulled her up out of her chair, his hands skimming over her as if inspecting her for damage. "How do you feel?"

Kylah seemed to consider this for a moment as she glanced down at her body. "… Pregnant," she deadpanned in reply. "Very, very pregnant."

Behind Squall, Irvine snickered.

Brenna fought a smile. "Any achiness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, or vision problems?" she asked.

This time Kylah laughed. "I've had all of that for nine months now," she pointed out. "But you try incubating another person for that long and see how _you_ feel." She glanced at each one of the four in turn. "What's going on?"

The four that had been at the research station exchanged glances.

Kylah sighed heavily. "Look, if I haven't toppled over or gone into labor after doing the workload of two people for the last week, then I'm not going to now," she pointed out. "Let me have it."

It was Brenna that stepped forward. "I was able to ascertain that the poison that Laguna consumed was, in fact, created at the Deep Sea Research Station within the last few weeks," she explained. "I also found that a new set of DNA and a new poison was created in the last week." She hesitated. "… It was your DNA."

Behind Kylah, Kiros stiffened. "Really…" he murmured.

"You would need to ingest the poison," Brenna went on. "Have you eaten anything from an outside source within the last 24 hours."

Kylah thought. "No," she responded. "I've eaten all of my meals today and yesterday at home." She paused and reddened. "Except…" she cast Squall a sheepish grin.

He raised a brow. "Except..?"

"Ward went out and bought me a carton of chocolate ice cream earlier," she admitted guiltily.

This time, faint humor lit Squall's eyes. "How much of it did you eat?" he asked, a note of teasing in his tone.

"Um…"

"The whole thing," Kiros interjected, grinning.

Kylah glared at him over her shoulder. "Traitor."

Brenna chuckled. "I think she's safe for now – we just need to monitor all food and drink that she's given. In the meantime," she added, holding up a data disk. "I'm going to take a look at what I recovered from the research station."

"Let me know what you find out," Squall called after her, pulling Kylah close against him. He held her for a moment, relieved to find her safe and in one piece. He then kissed her deeply, so long and hungrily that Zell suddenly remembered something he needed to take care of, and Kiros thought of some report that he needed to check on.

Only Irvine remained behind, lounging casually on a couch in the corner of the office.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Squall asked, gazing into Kylah's eyes.

"Actually, I need to borrow your wife," the cowboy replied. "But take your time. I'm not in a hurry."

Squall smirked. "Pervert," he replied mildly. He kissed Kylah again, and then brushed a stray strand of hair back from her cheek. "I'll see you at home," he promised, then turned and strode out of the room.

Kylah watched him go with a sigh. Hyne, could he stride…

"You two are so… domestic," Irvine drawled. An undertone in his voice pulled Kylah out of her reverie and she frowned at him, studying him intently for the first time. She moved over and eased down onto the couch next to him. For the first time, she noticed the faint traces of tension around his mouth and slight dark circles under his eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked, resting her hands on her belly.

"How do you know something's wrong?" he asked. "Maybe I just wanted to play poker or something."

She rolled her eyes. "Irvine…"

She watched as he fell silent, searching for the right words to express what hung so heavily on his mind. Over the years, Kylah had formed a good friendship with all of the Balamb Crew, as she affectionately referred to them. But, even so, it remained Irvine that she was the closest to.

She'd first met Irvine when she'd been all of thirteen and he fourteen. If anyone ever asked her if she'd ever had a crush on him, she would have to admit that yes, she had. For all of three months when she was fifteen. The two had gone out on a few dates, spending heated nights making out for hours until her head spun. But in the end, they realized that they were better left as friends. He had become the big brother that she'd never had and sometimes never wanted.

Squall was by far her best friend. Irvine was a close second.

"… I need some advice," Irvine finally admitted. "Relationship advice."

Kylah arched a brow. "My how the mighty have fallen," she teased. "Irvine Kinneas, needing advice about women."

"Oh, shut up," he retorted. "I can go ask someone else about this you know." Again she raised a brow. "… Alright, dammit, fine. No I can't. Will you just hush and listen?" She fell silent, an expectant look on her face. "Okay…" he began slowly. "It's about Selphie."

"What about her?" she asked. "I thought things were great between you."

"They are… sorta," he replied. He exhaled, taking his hat off and resting it between them. "… Kylah, I love Selphie more than life itself. But the more I go on, the older I get, the more I can't deal with this… whatever she has for Laguna."

Slowly, Kylah nodded. "Yeah, I can see that," she replied.

He leaned his head back and rested it on the couch as he stared at the ceiling. "I try not to resent Laguna for it. Hell, it's not his fault. He hasn't done a thing to encourage her." He frowned. "It seems to make him almost as uncomfortable as it does me."

"To be fair," she interrupted, "Laguna is uncomfortable with any sexual attention from any female. But yes, Selphie scares him."

"It was kinda cute when she was sixteen, but now she's in her mid-twenties. She should be well over that by now." He sighed and shifted restlessly. "It's fine when we're in Balamb. But all anyone has to do is mention visiting Esthar and it's Sir Laguna this and Sir Laguna that," he groused. "And now…" he stopped.

"Now… what?"

He glanced briefly at her, sighed, and stuck his hand into his coat. When he withdrew his hand, he was holding a small velvet box that he expertly flipped at her. Kylah caught it neatly in her hand and opened it, gasping at the diamond ring that glittered brightly against the black velvet. "Irvine, this…"

"A dozen times I've been ready to give it to her," he said with a sigh. "And each time Laguna comes up in conversation again and I come up with excuses why it's not the right time."

"… You have to know that Selphie loves you," Kylah said, snapping the box closed and handing it back to him. "If you doubt it, I can recite at least a hundred conversations in which she has extolled your virtues," she said. "Which, by the way, was odd for me. I wasn't aware that you had any virtue left."

"You are such a comedian," he replied mildly, rolling his eyes. "… I know Selphie loves me," he continued. "I just wonder… does she love me enough." He closed his eyes. "If I marry her, I'm always going to wonder…"

"… Wonder what?"

"If she really wanted Laguna, and just settled for me because she couldn't have him."

"I think…" Kylah mused, "that Selphie is fascinated with an ideal Laguna that she has created in her mind. She relishes in the romance and the tragedy of his story. She doesn't see the reality of Laguna." She fixed her gaze on him. "She does see the reality of you. She's seen you naked. She's picked your socks up off the floor. She's laughed with you, she's cried with you, she's apparently had hot, dirty sex on Cid's desk with you."

Irvine blushed. "How did you – nevermind," he said, quickly. "I know how you knew about that."

Kylah grinned. "Selphie has a big mouth. That birthmark of yours…"

"Shut up," he retorted, flushing to the roots of his hair.

The grin on Kylah's face bloomed into a full laugh. "I don't think I've ever seen you blush before," she observed. He responded by shoving his hat in her face. "Alright, alright…" she replied, pushing the hat away. "You're in a pickle, Kinneas: you aren't happy with Selphie right now, but you'll never be happy with anyone else. That's why you and I could never make it work."

"I thought you and I couldn't make it work because you caught me looking at Casey Phillips," he countered.

"We didn't work out because you were hung up on Selphie even though you hadn't seen her in years," she replied. She sighed heavily. "… I wish you could see and hear Selphie talk about you when she's hanging out with Quistis and me. She's crazy about you, Irvine."

"I know she is…" he murmured, smiling faintly as he opened the box once again and gazed at the ring that sparkled against the black.

* * *

It didn't take Brenna long to review the data recovered from the Deep Sea Research Station. When she'd finished, she called Squall and asked if she could meet with him and the rest of the SeeD team. Once Kylah caught wind of the requested meeting, she demanded that she, Kiros, and Ward be permitted to attend. And when Laguna heard about it, he insisted that he be permitted to listen in. Brenna had pointedly reminded him that he wasn't supposed to leave his apartment. With a cheeky smile, the president of Esthar had invited everyone to come in and have their meeting in his living room.

Brenna quickly realized she wasn't going to win that argument.

"How do you think Sir Laguna talked Squall and Brenna into letting him sit in on it?" Selphie asked Irvine as they made their way to the presidential apartment.

Irvine merely grunted.

Selphie glanced curiously at him, paused, and then cautiously ventured on. "Maybe he just turned on that Galbadian charm…"

"That's it!" Irvine cried, whirling around to face her. "Selphie, I can't take it anymore!" Anger burned in his blue eyes as he glared down at her. "'Sir Laguna, Sir Laguna, Sir Laguna…' I'm so sick of hearing about Laguna!" He closed his eyes and sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "… If you want to spend the rest of your life mooning over Laguna Loire, Selphie, then fine. You do that." He looked up, eyes determined. "But you'll do it without me." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Selphie standing and staring after him.

She was shocked. She couldn't move. In all their years together, Irvine had [i]never[/i] spoken to her like that. In fact, Irvine was so relaxed and easy-going that she'd never heard him speak like that to anyone at all! "Wait…" she managed to croak after him, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks.

Suddenly an arm slipped comfortingly around her shoulders as Zell caught her in a brotherly hug. "Walk with me," he said, pulling her along. Silently, he led her to a bench positioned near the presidential apartment, sat her down, and then perched next to her with a sympathetic stare and hands holding hers gently.

Selphie sat silently for several moments as she replayed the conversation thoughtfully in her mind. At length, she glanced curiously at Zell with his wide-eyed empathy. She glanced at him several more times before she finally burst out, "What are you _doing_?"

"I'm waiting for you to fall apart into a pile of tearful goo. Once it's out of your system, I'm ready to give you heartfelt advice," he replied earnestly.

"Well, stop it," she replied. "You're creeping me out."

Zell blinked. "You're not melting."

"Nooooooo," she said, exasperated. "I'm thinking. I get that Irvine is upset – I just can't figure out why!"

"Honestly?" Zell asked, hesitantly. She nodded. "… It was cute and all when you were sixteen and fawning all over Laguna. But now you're a grown woman. It pisses Irvine off and makes Laguna uncomfortable."

"Does it really?" she asked thoughtfully. "I mean, I didn't notice a difference – for Laguna, that is. Most women make him uneasy, I thought."

Zell chuckled. "Well, yeah… that hasn't changed. But Irvine…" His forehead wrinkled. "He's just run out of patience with it over the years."

"But why?" she wailed. "I thought it was a harmless crush!"

He took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Alright, I'm going to let you in on a little secret about men." Zell paused for dramatic effect. "… Inside, we are all four years old and on the playground, fighting over a toy and yelling MINE! MINE! MINE!"

Silence hung between them as Selphie watched him as if he'd lost his mind. "… What?" she finally managed, fighting a helpless giggle.

"We don't share our toys well," he said, gravely. "This time, you're the toy."

She shook her head vehemently. "But he's not having to share me!" she protested.

"Not physically, no…" He eyed her suspiciously. "Unless there's something you're not telling me about you and Laguna…"

Her withering look was all the response he needed.

"So not physically, but emotionally… yeah, to some degree," he finished up.

"That's ridiculous," she replied. "I love _Irvine_! Not Laguna."

"Okay, listen," Zell instructed. "Over the years, I have screwed up many, many times in love. And I've come up with a surefire way to get you out of any trouble that you can ever get yourself into."

She eyed him suspiciously. "What's that?"

"Grovel," he replied. "On your knees is very effective."

Selphie laughed. "Come on," she urged, clearly dropping the subject. She had a lot to think about, and wanted to do so without Zell's input. "We have a meeting to get to."

The two of them were the last to arrive at Laguna's apartment, and Quistis let them in. Selphie slipped up and sat down next to Irvine. He cast her a brief glance, and then pointedly ignored her and focused on the discussion at hand.

"Nice of you to join us," Kylah said dryly. She was seated in an overstuffed chair, her hand resting contentedly on her protruding belly.

"Sorry," Zell replied sheepishly.

Kylah dismissed the apology, apparently unconcerned. She turned to Brenna, who was seated on one end of the couch, Laguna sideways next to her and leaned back against her. "Brenna, what were you able to learn from the data you collected at the research station."

"I admit, it was fascinating reading," she replied earnestly. "The composition of the poisons are very complex. Whoever crafted them either has an advanced knowledge of chemicals, or they hired someone that is very, very good at what they do."

"But you weren't able to figure out who did it?" Kiros asked.

Ruefully, Brenna shook her head. "No, I wasn't."

"Who has it out for Laguna so much that he wants to kill him and his family?" Zell wondered from a comfortable spot on the floor.

"… You're assuming that it's personal," Quistis spoke up. "I don't think it is."

Kylah arched a brow. "What makes you think it's not?"

This time it was Quistis' turn to address Brenna. "Doctor, how difficult would it have been to formulate the poison to attack not only Laguna, but Squall and Cassidy too."

Brenna thought for a moment. "It wouldn't have been too difficult," she finally replied. "A few more steps, but it wouldn't have required much more work than had already been completed."

"If it were personal, they would have taken those extra steps," Quistis stated. "If they wanted to truly hurt Laguna, they would not only have attacked him, but his son and granddaughter, too. If it were personal, they would have wanted to make him hurt as much as possible.

"Instead," she continued, "Squall and Cassidy were more collateral damage."

"But they're going after Laguna's daughter-in-law, now, too," Selphie pointed out. She ignored the brief, questioning glance that Irvine shot at her.

"…"

"Ward is right," Kiros interjected. "Kylah isn't just his daughter-in-law."

"She's his right hand," Squall mused. He was seated on the back of Kylah's chair, idly running his hands through her dark auburn hair to relax her. "His second-in-command."

Quistis nodded. "The heir apparent to the proverbial throne of Esthar," she concluded. "It was a political attack. My guess is that Kiros or Ward would be the next targets."

"Are we sure that quack Odine doesn't have anything to do with this?" Zell asked, leaning back on his hands.

Laguna shook his head, and spoke, raspiness and stuffiness still lingering in his voice. "Odine and I have had an agreement for years: he doesn't blow up anything outside of his lab, and I give him a big research budget and stay out of his way. Occasionally, he actually does come up with something useful."

Irvine quirked a brow. "'Outside of his lab?'"

"We discovered quickly that we had to be very specific," Kiros explained. "Apparently 'don't destroy the world' wasn't specific enough. And then we learned that 'don't destroy the country' wasn't either."

"…"

"Yeah, when we figured out 'don't destroy the city' wasn't specific enough, we just limited him to his lab."

"So it's not Odine," Q uistis concluded with a smirk. "We need to look at political enemies…"

"That's just it," Kylah put in. "We don't really have any these days – we're at peace with Galbadia, Dollet, and allied with Balamb. I can't think of any other political leader that would want to destroy Esthar."

"It could be an insurgent cell," Squall said, thoughtfully.

Kylah considered it. "Possible, I suppose."

"The easiest way to find out," Irvine spoke up. "Is to flush them out." An idea began to take shape in his mind.

"You got an idea, Irvine?" Laguna rasped.

He nodded slowly. "We set a trap," he said. "And use Kylah as bait."

"No," Squall responded immediately. "Absolutely not."

"I'm listening," Kylah replied at the same time.

Irvine ignored Squall. "You have that reception with the Duke of Dollet in three days, right?"

She made a face and nodded.

He then turned to Brenna. "How good of an actress are you?" he asked.

"I… have no idea?" she replied, taken aback.

He nodded. "So, like, here's the plan… Laguna, you're going to have a relapse."

"Aw, hell," Laguna moaned. "I was just starting to feel better!"

"Not a real relapse," Irvine sighed. "Brenna, you're going to announce that Laguna has relapsed, and that you're out of ideas. You have exhausted all avenues, and there's nothing more that you can do. And so, you're agreeing to his request to die at home with his friends and family."

"Sounds dramatic," Kiros mused.

"Basically," Irvine continued, "we lul the guy into a false sense of security. Make him think he succeeded in taking Laguna out. We can only assume that he'd next turn to Kylah. And what better opportunity to poison her than a public reception? Except, we'll be watching."

"Catch him in the act." Quistis considered it. "It's not a bad idea."

"I think I can modify a molecular scanner to detect the poison from a distance," Brenna thought aloud. "It would allow you the chance to detect exactly when the poison is introduced."

"I said no," Squall insisted. He peered down at his wife. "You are nine months pregnant. There is no way you're going to risk it."

"She'll never be in any danger," Irvine replied. "Quistis, Zell, Selphie and I will be with her the whole time."

"Then I'm going too," Squall retorted.

"You can't," Kylah replied, peering up at him. "If your dad is supposed to be dying, then it'll look suspicious if you go."

"Then what about you?" he shot back. "Your father-in-law is dying."

"And she's basically the vice-president, if you will," Kiros piped up. "She still has to continue with her duties. It would look suspicious if she _didn't_ go."

"And I know Kylah can act," Irvine said. "She just needs to look worried, anxious, and like she doesn't want to be there."

"That won't be hard," she replied dryly. "I don't want to be there."

Squall pressed a palm to his forehead. "I'm outvoted, aren't I?"

"Look on the bright side," Zell spoke up. "You'll have to spend lots of time in here if you want to convince everyone that you're worried about your dad dying. Think of all the quality time you can spend with him."

Laguna's laugh was smothered by a cough. "Great," Squall sighed. "Just great."


	20. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18_

The next few days were trying for everyone, particularly Squall. Because Laguna was supposed to be dying, Squall, Kylah, Brenna, and Ellone spent most of their waking hours in his apartment, presumably to sit by his death bed. The small quarters were too close, with no place for any of them to escape. Zell thoughtfully smuggled in a game system after the first day, which Squall gamely agreed to play with his father – until he discovered Laguna was frighteningly good at the combat simulator Zell brought.

"What the-" Squall sputtered as he furiously tapped the buttons of his controller. "That's spawn camping. Stop it."

Laguna's response was raspy, maniacal laughter.

"I admit, I'm blown away," Irvine said, incredulous. "He's better than Zell, who plays for hours on end.

"When you've lived through combat," Laguna responded seriously, "you can translate your real-life experiences to the game."

"It also helps when you play for hours and hours at my place." Kiros peered in from the kitchen with a grin.

"…"

"And Ward says you _are_ a spawn camper."

"Hush." Laguna scowled. "You're giving away my secrets!"

Squall threw in the towel and tossed the controller aside. "I give," he conceded. "This is insane."

"Bow to the master!" Laguna crowed, his cackle quickly melting into a cough.

"You're awfully damn smug for a man who's supposed to be dying," Squall smirked. "Did you spawn camp when you were actually a soldier?"

"No," Kiros replied for him. "He was usually the one being camped."

"Hey!" Laguna protested.

"…"

"Ward says he was usually too lost to camp anyone else."

Sulking, Laguna glanced around. "Where did Kylah and Brenna run off to, anyway?" he asked.

"Brenna is borrowing your office in there to get a little work done," Squall replied. "And Kylah is napping."

"Is she okay?" Laguna asked immediately.

Squall merely arched a brow. "She's nine months pregnant. She's been doing her work and yours for a week. I think a nap was inevitable."

"…"

"Ward says she was kinda considering being locked in here for three days as a vacation," Kiros interjected.

Laguna sighed and sank into his chair. "Pregnancy makes me nervous."

"Why would it make you nervous?" Squall snorted. "You're not the one who has to sit with her through la-" He paused as he caught sight of the look in Laguna's eye and suddenly felt like an idiot. It should have been obvious why pregnancy – and the impending labor – would make Laguna uneasy. He quickly shot Irvine, Kiros, and Ward all three a glance, and the men found excuses to leave.

When father and son were alone, Squall spoke softly. "Laguna…" he began. "Kylah will be fine."

The older man shifted uneasily and pretended to be focused on the video game. "Of course she will." He brushed aside his son's concern. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"Dad." This time Squall spoke more firmly. Laguna snapped his attention away from the video game and stared at him, wide-eyed. "Kylah will be fine."

For several moments the two of them gazed silently at one another, until Laguna finally broke and glanced away. "I know that," he said softly. "I guess I'll just feel better when it's over."

Squall sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. "Me too."

Laguna regarded him curiously. "You don't like it either?"

"I wouldn't go that far." He shrugged. "Kylah is tough-as-nails. She's a trooper, and she won't complain. But I know she's tired, moody, her back hurts, and she feels awkward." He leaned back in the chair and laced his fingers behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. "And I know she has hours of hard labor ahead of her before this is all over. And there isn't a damn thing I can do to fix it. It'll all be worth it in the end when we have a great kid like Cass to show for it. But damn… women go through a lot to bring our kids into the world."

Laguna's brow furrowed as he carefully placed his controller on the table next to him. "I watch Kylah and I feel so guilty I wasn't there for your mom when she was going through this." He scratched the back of his neck. "I think, 'Man, I wonder who helped Raine with that. Who rubbed her feet? Who bought her a pint of ice cream so she could eat the whole thing? Who brought her tissues when she had a hormone-induced meltdown?'" He stared absently at a blank spot on the floor. "I feel like such a heel."

Squall reached over and lightly punched his arm. "Remember that conversation we had a few weeks ago about not beating yourself up about the past?"

His father nodded.

"Look, if you want to pay some penance for not being there for Raine, I'll make a big sacrifice for you." He paused for dramatic effect. "I'll let you be the one to be with Kylah in the delivery room."

Laguna's head shot up and he stared at his son, wide-eyed. "Excuse me?"

Squall nodded gravely. "Even better, I'll make sure she goes in there with Ifrit."

He sputtered and coughed so hard that he had to reach for the glass of water sitting on the table next to him. When Laguna recovered, he looked at his son with apprehension. "You would seriously send me into the delivery room with _Kylah_, who will be in labor, in pain, hating your guts for putting her in that condition and me for bringing you into the world, with _Ifrit _junctioned to her?"

The younger man never cracked a smile. "Would you rather have Doomtrain?"

"What? No! Squall, you're missing the point –"

"Ah. Bahamut, then?"

* * *

"See anything?"

Irvine cast Zell a brief glance and shook his head as he turned his attention to the guests milling around the reception hall. "Nothing of concern." He folded his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. "Yet."

Zell's gaze darted around the room. "You think they're going to attack today?"

"It's the perfect opportunity. She's there, seemingly vulnerable." He watched as Kylah greeted a guest, a somber expression on her face. She squeezed the man's hand when he offered his condolences over Laguna's condition. Irvine hid a smile behind his hand. "Damn, she's a good actress."

Quistis chuckled as she stepped up alongside him. "I'd almost believe her myself if Laguna hadn't handed my ass to me in a video game just an hour ago."

Irvine chuckled. "We needed her to be convincing. She's doing a good job of it."

She nodded, her hand resting on the handle of her whip. "Selphie is keeping an eye on the servers." Quistis flicked her wrist subtly in the direction of their cohort, who appeared to be animatedly showing Ward the functions of her new "phone." Squall thought the best way to hide the medical scanner Brenna calibrated to detect the biological poison was to disguise it as a mobile. Having it out in the open made the small device even less suspicious and allowed Selphie to scan the contents of each tray as it floated past her.

Irvine caught her eye from across the room. Selphie didn't cease her one-sided conversation with Ward, but eyed her cowboy longingly. The two hadn't spoken since their argument. Irvine suspected Selphie wasn't sure how to approach him, and he wasn't willing to give in after his display of temper. Shifting, he turned his attention away, but not fast enough to miss the hurt expression that filled her eyes.

He sighed. When this was all over, he promised himself they would work it out.

Kylah waddled up, grimacing.

"You okay?" Zell asked. Brenna said just that morning Kylah could go any time. Since then, every wince or moan seemed to convince him she was in labor. Irvine suggested she pour a cup of water at her feet just to see what Zell would do.

"No," she replied, her eyes wide and panicky. "I think I'm in labor."

"What?!" Zell cried. He grabbed her by the arm. "Are you sure? Do you want us to get Brenna? Or maybe some hot water and towels and –" He swung around to Irvine. "What else do we need to deliver a baby?"

Kylah began to laugh. "Calm down," she chided. "I was joking."

Next to Irvine, Quistis chuckled.

Zell placed a hand over his heart and exhaled with relief. "Don't _do_ that!"

"Quit laughing." Irvine struggled for composure. "You'll blow your cover."

Kylah sighed and rested a hand on her stomach. "If the Duke puts his hand on my ass one more time I'm going to blow it anyway, and _he_ will be the world leader we're mourning." She snorted. "Usually Squall is with me to deflect him."

Quistis glanced around. "Have you seen anything suspicious?"

"No. I'm starting to think this is a bust."

"Me too." Irvine lifted his hat from his head and dragged a hand through his hair. "Maybe Laguna should have an 'emergency' and we head upstairs to discuss another stra –" He paused. Selphie waved frantically from across the room, pointing to the device in her hand. Not-so-subtly, she gestured towards a blond server making his way to the hors d'oeuvres table. Dropping his hat back on his head, he nodded in return and nudged Zell. He sent Irvine a sidelong glance and punched one fist into the other palm.

Kylah glanced over her shoulder. "You got him?"

The cowboy nodded. "Let us get him out, and you two call an end to the reception."

The two men made their way casually through the room, both heading straight for the young server. When they reached him, neither said a word. Irvine stepped on one side of him and Zell on the other, each grabbing an elbow. They lifted the protesting boy off of the ground and hustled him through a door on the opposite side of the floor.

"H-Hey!" he protested. "Where are you taking me?"

"I think you have a pretty good idea." Irvine opened the door to a makeshift interrogation room he and Squall set up earlier in the day. "Let's not make this difficult."

Zell shoved the young man into a chair, swung another one around and straddled it backwards. Resting his forearms on the back of the chair, he grinned at the boy.

"W-What are you going to do to me?"

"Us?" Zell gestured back and forth between himself and Irvine. "We're not going to do anything. We're going to sit here and wait for the real muscle to arrive."

The boy swallowed hard. "The r-real muscle?"

The door flew open with a bang, causing the server to jump in his seat. Zell popped his knuckles and smirked as their "muscle" swaggered through the door. Selphie, arms folded over her chest and nunchaku in each hand paused in front of the boy. She grabbed a chair of her own and planted one foot in the middle of the seat. Leaning over her leg, she leered at the young man and held out the device Brenna had given her.

"Do you know what this says?"

All traces of fear faded from the boy's face and he cast Irvine a skeptical look. "Really? Her?"

"Dude. Seriously." Zell hopped up out of his chair and backed towards the wall. "You have no idea."

"This pretty little scanner tells me you've been a very, very naughty boy." Selphie continued as if they hadn't spoken. She punched a few buttons on the keypad and held up the object so he could see the screen. "It says you, young man, placed a foreign substance in the tray of quiches you were taking to the table." She raised her eyes and eyed him darkly. "A substance that would have very bad effects on Minister Deraldi." Shaking her head, Selphie clucked her tongue with disapproval. "You've been a naughty, naughty boy Mr. –" She paused. "What's your name?"

He went white. "I don't have to give you my name."

"Oh you don't?" She held up her nunchaku and began spinning one over her shoulder. "You want to try that again?"

He remained silent.

Selphie sighed and shook her head. "You, sir, have two choices." She held up one finger. "You can do this the easy way – my way." She held up the second. "Or we can do this the hard way. To be honest, I'd kind of like to try the hard way." A wicked grin spread over her face. "The hard way involves explosions and blowing you to smithereens."

Zell glanced over at Irvine. "Why is there always something getting blown to smithereens when Selphie is involved?"

The boy glanced back and forth between Selphie and Irvine. "Is she for real?"

Irvine shrugged, leaned back in his chair, and lowered his hat over his eyes. "Is it worth the risk?"

Indecision hung in the air for another moment before the boy's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Vilet. My name is Vilet."

"See? Now you're cooperating." Selphie tapped her nunchaku against her shoulder. "Now, Vilet, tell me… why were you trying to poison the minister?"

He glared up at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She shook her head in disappointment. "One step forward, two steps back. Zell?"

In a flash, he was on his feet and looming over Vilet. He grinned and his hands flew over the young man, swiftly darting into pockets and under his serving jacket. Seconds later, Zell turned up a small vial with a cork stopper. "Want to re-think that story?"

"Th-that's not mine!"

All three SeeDs stared at him with a raised brow.

"Vilet," Selphie began sweetly. "What we have here is me catching you red-handed slipping a biologically engineered poison into the minister's food. Not only did I see you do it, but we have the evidence right here. I'm willing to bet that little bottle contains traces of the poison, and I'm also willing to bet it has your fingerprints all over it. This, my dear, is what's called treason." Her smile was innocent and placating. "Do you know what we do to boys who commit treason?"

Sweat began to bead on his forehead and he tugged on his collar. "W-what?"

"We blow them to smithereens!"

"GAH!" Startled, he fell out of his chair and landed in the floor. Vilet scrambled as far from Selphie as he could get and eyed the door longingly. "Look, lady, it wasn't mine! Someone gave it to me!"

"Ha!" She spun her nunchaku. "A likely story!"

Under his hat, Irvine hid a smile. This was a side of Selphie he enjoyed, and reminded him why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she relished her role as the "bad cop," approaching the man like a tiger stalking its prey.

"Really, Vilet, it's in your best interests to cooperate," Irvine advised.

He peered around. "What happens if I do?"

"Then I commute your death sentence for treason and attempted assassination of the president to a life sentence and you're grateful."

Vilet paled to a stark white as Laguna Loire opened the door and walked into the room. Though it was obvious Esthar's leader had been through a serious illness, it was also clear rumors of his impending death were drastically exaggerated. Flanked by Kiros and Ward, he folded his arms over his chest and gazed down at the trembling server on the floor.

"M-Mr. President," he stuttered. "But you -. You're supposed to be –."

"Dying?" Laguna supplied with a grin. "Don't believe everything you read in the papers."

His eyes darting wildly around the room, Vilet sputtered, stammered, and groped for a valid excuse that would exonerate him and set him free. Finding none, he moaned and fainted in the floor.

"Poop," Selphie grumbled. "I didn't even get to set off one firecracker."


	21. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19_

"So you don't think he did it?"

Laguna scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully and glanced at his son. "Oh, he did it. He just didn't act alone. Someone paid him to do it. But he either doesn't know who it was, or they've leaned on him enough to keep him quiet."

"I think he genuinely doesn't know." Irvine lounged casually on Laguna's couch, one arm draped over the back. "Selphie worked on him for over an hour, and he wouldn't budge from his story that he never saw them or got their name. All he can tell us is that it was a woman."

Kylah was seated on a large rubber ball in the center of the room, slowly rocking her hips back and forth. "I think it's pretty safe to say that it's probably not a jealous ex-lover of Laguna's out to seek revenge."

He glared and playfully tossed a throw pillow at her. "It could be!"

She raised her brow skeptically.

Laguna grunted. "What is that thing, anyway?" he asked, pointing to her makeshift chair.

"It's supposed to help get hip muscles ready for birth. Even if it doesn't, it makes my back feel _awesome_."

He fixed a speculative gaze on the ball and then glanced over his shoulder at his back.

Squall snorted. "I don't think it will have quite the same effect on the non-pregnant, old man."

Laguna grinned sheepishly and cleared his throat. "So we're pretty much back to square one," he said, pulling them back to the subject at hand. "And we're running out of options."

"Yes, you are." Brenna stepped into the room and leaned against the doorway. She glanced at Kylah and smiled slightly. "She's not going to be able to continue covering your duties for much longer."

Irvine sank into his chair and lowered his hat over his eyes. "Who's after Kylah in the line of succession?"

"Kiros." Kylah stretched her arms out in front of her. "And then Ward. But either of them would rather have a root canal than take over."

"They won't have to." Laguna's tone was firm, decisive. "I'm fine, and perfectly capable of taking the reins. Let Kylah go on maternity leave and me get back to work."

"You're not 'fine,'" Brenna argued, and then sighed. "But you are well enough to go back to work. I don't have a reason to hold you back anymore."

He flashed her a triumphant grin.

"Wait, hold on." Kylah hauled herself to her feet. "While I realize I'm ready to expel another human being from my body any minute, are we sure this is a good idea? It seems like turning Laguna loose into public life is just asking for someone to shoot at him."

Brenna's brief flinch wasn't lost on Laguna. He shot his daughter-in-law a censoring look. "It's not like I'm going to head up a parade through downtown Deling City." He frowned, mentally scanning his schedule. "It's pretty slow right now, so I'd be sticking to the palace. He shrugged, arms wide. "Realistically? The biggest risk I'm taking is cabin fever. Which, by the way, is definitely going to happen if I stay cooped up here playing video games with Zell too many more days."

A silent battle of wills passed between Kylah and Laguna for several seconds, before she huffed with annoyance. "I guess the only public appearance you'd have coming up is the groundbreaking for the new hospital in FH."

"When is that?" Squall asked.

"Three days." Brenna held up her fingers. "It's supposed to be a short ceremony and reception."

"We could provide security," Irvine put in. "But I'd recommend cutting the reception. Under the circumstances, I'm sure ol' Dobe would understand."

"I suppose…" Kylah still appeared unsure.

"Look." Laguna was frustrated. He sprang up and began restlessly pacing the living room. "I'm tired of sitting up here like a captive in my own home while someone out there has me in their crosshairs. If they want to come after me then fine – let them. We have enough fire power to handle whatever they want to throw at us. But for Hyne's sake, let's find some sort of normal again around here and stop hiding like a bunch of cowards."

"Laguna's right." Squall stood and folded his arms over his chest. "If we let them push us into hiding, we're letting them win. We can handle this."

"Fine, fine." Kylah threw her hands in the air in defeat. "But if anything happens to you, Loire…"

He smiled sweetly at her. "You'll never forgive me?"

She narrowed her eyes and rested a palm on her swollen belly. "I'll let Dobe officiate your funeral."

"Ouch."

* * *

"You've been quiet all evening."

Brenna glanced over at Laguna as she pulled a sleep shirt down over her head. "Have I?" she asked. "I didn't mean to be. Just…thinking."

He watched her as she pulled her hair into a band and removed her earrings to lay them on the dresser. Her expression was pensive, her brow furrowed and lips tight. Laguna sighed, walked around the bed, and slipped his arms around her waist from behind. "I'm going to be fine," he said, softy.

She closed her eyes. "I know you will, really I do." Turning in his embrace, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Kylah warned me that this was a danger of your job."

He nodded. "Not the first time some idiot has tried to kill me. Probably won't be the last."

Brenna turned a bemused smile up at him. "I assumed I'd have a little more time to adjust to the other intricacies of your occupation before I was confronted with this particular challenge."

Laguna closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "If this is too much for you, Bren, then it's not too late…"

She pulled back slightly. "I haven't gone this far, Laguna, only to back out now. I'm in this for the long-haul, death threats and all."

"And you're really okay with me going back to work tomorrow?"

Idly Brenna ran her fingers through his hair. "I really can't hold you back from it any longer. I expect a call any time that Kylah has gone into labor." Stretching up onto her toes, Brenna kissed him gently. "Besides, Esthar needs her president back where he belongs."

"So tomorrow it's back to paperwork and meetings and public appearances." Laguna blew his hair out of his eyes. "Back to being an adult. Or at least as close to it as I get."

She trailed her palm down his t-shirt covered chest and abdomen, and then hooked a finger in the waistband of his pants. "You still have tonight." Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

A slow grin spread over Laguna's lips. "Yes, ma'am, I do."

Afterwards, the two lay tangled together with the lights of the city dancing over them through the window. Brenna's cheek lay against Laguna's bare shoulder, and his arm was tucked comfortably around her.

Warm and content, Brenna was on the brink of sleep. She yawned and tucked an arm around his waist as she snuggled closer. Her mind began to drift and her thoughts grew fuzzy as she began to slip under the darkness of sleep.

And then, unbidden, the image of Laguna still and pale in the hospital bed flashed through her mind.

She inhaled sharply and tightened her arm around his waist. He murmured softly and ran his hand soothingly up and down her arm. "I'll be okay, Brenna. I promise."

"I want to believe that."

He tucked a knuckle under her chin and gently lifted her face to look at him. "You've never seen Squall and crew in action. They'll take care of it. Trust them."

* * *

"So what can you tell me about Mayor Dobe?"

Laguna, Kiros, and Ward exchanged glances and snickered. They were seated on the train along with Brenna speeding towards Fisherman's Horizon. Tension was heavy in the air. The groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital in FH was slated to begin in just a half an hour. Brenna fiddled with a slim silver bracelet on her wrist. Every so often she glanced back Squall, Irvine, Quistis, Zell, and Selphie who were tucked into the rear of the compartment, quietly reviewing security protocol.

"Dobe," Laguna mused. He glanced at Kiros. "He's… eccentric?"

"Weird is the word I'd use, man."

"Odd."

"Challenging."

"…"

Kiros snorted. "Ward says he's an annoying twit."

Brenna chuckled. "So why are we helping them again?"

"FH was started by residents of Esthar." Laguna leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I sort of see FH as Esthar's little sister. They're fiercely independent and generally don't appreciate us sticking our nose in their business, but even Dobe had to admit that a hospital in FH itself is needed." He frowned. "There was an accident a few months ago involving a young child. If he'd had faster medical attention, it may have turned out differently. As it was…" He trailed off and glanced out the window.

Brenna inhaled. "How awful."

"After that, we offered to provide the materials and manpower to build a hospital," Kiros put in. "Dobe accepted, with our promise that we would basically build it and then get out."

Zell stuck his head between Kiros and Ward. "Show time." He punched his right hand into his left palm.

Brenna pressed her hand to her roiling stomach. "I suppose it's now or never."

Ward patted her shoulder reassuringly. "…"

"Ward says not to worry," Kiros said with a grin. "It'll all be fine."

A small crowd was gathered when they disembarked. Brenna scanned the faces, expressions ranging from mildly interested to cautious to outright hostile. "They don't seem precisely thrilled to see us," she murmured to Kiros.

"Most of them probably aren't," he whispered back. "That they're even letting us in at all is huge."

Laguna stepped forward and offered his hand to a grey-haired man clad in an oversized tropical-print shirt, shorts, and sandals. "Dobe," he greeted warmly. "It's good to see you again!"

_He's a good actor_. Brenna smiled inwardly.

Dobe managed a small smiled. "Mr. President." He shook Laguna's hand hesitantly. "It's a pleasure to see you. Thank you so much for your kind offer of assistance to FH."

Squall stepped over to stand next to Brenna. "It's killing him to have to say that," he muttered. Kiros fought a grin.

Laguna took Brenna by the hand and gently pulled her forward. "I'd like to introduce you both to our new Palace Physician, Dr. Brenna Cormac. Brenna, this is Fisherman's Horizon's Mayor, Dobe."

She smiled genially and shook Dobe's proffered hand. "It's a pleasure. I'm looking forward to working with your physician's to finalize the design of the hospital."

"I'm sure you'll bring many new ideas to the table, doctor," Dobe said in such a way that Brenna wasn't entirely sure it was a compliment or an insult. He rested a hand on the small of the back of the woman next to him. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Flo."

"President Loire," Flo said with a nod. She scarcely touched his hand when she shook it, and then stepped forward to greet Brenna. "Dr. Cormac. I've read quite a bit about you in the papers."

A flush rose in Brenna's cheeks. "Yes, well. I'm sure it wasn't very interesting reading."

Briefly, Flo cast a speculative glance at Laguna. "Quite the contrary."

The president cleared his throat nervously. "I'm sure you both remember Esthar's SeeD commander, Squall Leonhart."

Flo passed by to shake hands with Squall, and as she did so the scent of her perfume teased Brenna's nose. The familiarity of the fragrance set her on edge. She had smelled it recently. Her brow furrowed as she gazed thoughtfully at the back of Flo's head, her mind churning as she tried to place where she had encountered it.

Her eyes widened slightly and she smothered a gasp. Brenna fought down a bubble of panic and swallowed hard. She craned her neck, desperate to catch Squall's eye. After what felt like an eternity, the commander glanced over at her and then did a double-take when he realized she was seeking his attention.

"Patchouli," she mouthed.

For a moment he eyed her with confusion. Brenna glanced pointedly at the back of Flo's head and waited as he processed the information. Realization was quickly followed by a flash of anger in his eyes. He took a slow, careful step back and sent a signal to the rest of the SeeD crew that was so subtle that Brenna would have missed it if she hadn't been watching him closely.

Irvine casually sauntered over and stood closer to Laguna, who was still oblivious that anything was amiss. Quistis rested her palm on the handle of her whip and flanked Brenna. Zell and Selphie brought up the rear while giving the appearance of being in an animated debate over a movie they had both recently seen.

Whether she saw their movement or simply sensed the heightened tension in the air, they would never know. Flo took an instinctive step backwards and uttered a shrill cry of frustration that so startled her husband that he jumped and toppled to the ground. Before anyone could react, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small handgun, training it on Laguna.

A collective gasp raised from the crowd. Those on the outer edges of the spectators began to run, anxious to be clear of the area before violence broke out. Squall instantly withdrew Lionheart, which his fellow SeeD took as a cue to draw their own weapons.

"Flo," the commander said in a tone that sent chills dancing down Brenna's spine. "You don't want to do this."

"The hell I don't," she spat back. "You just couldn't stay out, could you Loire? You couldn't leave well enough alone and let FH stand on its own principles."

"Flo, what-?" Dobe sputtered as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Shut up." She spared her husband a glance. "This is your fault. You should have told them no, we didn't need their hospital. But you welcomed them with open arms and told them to come right in. Sure, Loire, we'll help you set up shop in our town."

"People were dying!" Dobe retorted.

"And more people will die now!" she shot back. "Look at them, standing there so arrogant alongside SeeD. SeeD!" Flo's gun remained fixed on Laguna as she glanced venomously at Squall. "Don't you remember what happened the last time, Dobe? SeeD will bring nothing but violence to this place."

"Lady, the only one I see being violent is you." Irvine's tone was calm, almost charming. "So why don't you put that itty-bitty little piece down and let's talk about this before someone gets hurt."

Laguna held up his hands. "Irvine's right. Let's just talk about this–"

"No! I don't want to talk this time! I don't want to discuss it. I want–"

Irvine and Zell descended on her from either side, intent on disarming the woman before the situation escalated. Flo shrieked in protest and squeezed the trigger on her gun, firing a wild shot towards Laguna. Brenna's hands clapped over her mouth and gasped in horror as he grunted and crumpled to the ground.

Triumph flashed in Flo's eyes.

Irvine grit is teeth and grasped her by the wrist. "Give me the damned gun!"

She smiled coldly. "Take it from me," she dared him. With a quick turn of her hand she turned her weapon on the gunslinger and pulled the trigger.

Irvine froze and stared at Flo in shock. He staggered back once, his hand resting on his side. As if moving in slow motion, he pulled his hand away and stared at the crimson that coated his gloved hand. He let out a strangled gasp and then he too fell to the ground.

"Take her down before someone else gets hurt!" Squall snapped as he dropped to his knees next to his father. Quistis growled in frustration and snapped her whip out, wrapped it around Flo's wrist, and gave it a hard yank. Flo stumbled, and Zell took the opportunity to gain advantage, knocked her down. Pushing her face against the ground, he yanked the gun from her grasp, and used Quistis' whip to tie her wrists together.

And for good measure, he sat on her.


End file.
